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NEW YORK — The two individuals at the helm of the nation’s largest audio content creation and distribution company have confirmed their upcoming appearance at a major institutional investor conference scheduled for November 29.

Bob Pittman, the Chairman/CEO of iHeartMedia, and COO/CFO Rich Bressler will participate in a question and answer session during the Wells Fargo TMT Summit. The appearance is scheduled for 3:45pm Eastern on the Wednesday following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

A live webcast of the session will be available to the general public at the start of the session at https://investors.iheartmedia.com/.

A replay of the webcast will be available in the Events & Presentation section of iHeartMedia’s Investors homepage.

For iHeartMedia, a welcome respite from a year-long decline in value came in Wednesday’s trading, with shares of IHRT up 14.3% to $2.40 as of 10am Eastern.

 

River Radio LLC is agreeing to purchase a pair of FM radio stations in the Lone Star State. The facilities serve Hill Country, due west of the Austin market. Who is the seller?

 

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NEW YORK — The Ninth Circuit U.S. federal appeals court has overruled a motion filed by Ed Stolz and the Harris Law Practice that sought to put a stop to the auctioning off of the radio stations associated with Royce International Broadcasting.

While this reflects former receiver Larry Patrick and a fight waged in a California federal court over unpaid music royalty payments, it effectively keeps the recent sale in a Nevada bankruptcy court of all of Stolz’s stations on track.

Indeed, the asset sale agreements were affirmed in the Nevada court, with Tuesday’s actions all but ending Stolz’s efforts to stave off the dissolution of his broadcasting business.

 

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The Media Bureau enters into a Consent Decree with Sunflower Community Action, licensee of Station KYOM-LP, Wichita, Kansas

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Until now, the FCC has not considered programming when taking into account a station’s license. However, the Media and Democracy Project, an advocacy group backed by Preston Padden, wants that to change, as it claims falsehoods shared by a Fox Televison Stations-owned broadcast TV station in Philadelphia during the 2020 U.S. presidential election season is grounds for preventing its license renewal.

While the merits of that fight are being debated, the Chairwoman of the FCC has circulated amongst the Commissioners a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that she believes will support local journalism.

How so? She proposes to prioritize processing the review of applications for license renewal or for assignment or transfer of license for radio and television broadcast stations that provide “locally originated programming.”

Jessica Rosenworcel on Tuesday announced a proposal that, if adopted, would begin a proceeding “to advance the Commission’s longstanding policy goal of supporting local journalism and broadcasters’ commitment to meet the needs and interests of local communities.”

But, is it a proposal that will establish a specific, codified standard as to what “locally originated programming” is? And, is it the job of the FCC to keep an accurate, up-to-date list of such programming?

Details are scant, with the FCC only sharing that the proposal “explores incentivizing the production of local programming by prioritizing the processing and review of applications from broadcast stations that invest in and prioritize local programming in communities across the country.”

For local TV broadcast groups, that’s a no-brainer. But for independently owned stations that rely on syndicated programming or digital multicast networks, does this put them at a disadvantage with respect to the Commission? What about NewsNet, the 24/7 all-news channel that is buying low-power TV stations across the U.S. as it converts from a digital multicast network?

Then, there is the matter of Radio. Given the large amount of syndicated programming and voicetracking seen across the industry, how will the Commission prioritize an AM or FM station’s license renewal? Will this hurt big groups such as iHeartMedia?

Those questions are likely to arise in the coming weeks, given the arrival of the proposed NPRM.

Rosenworcel said, “There’s something special about when you hear a local voice on the airwaves or see a familiar face on your television set in the evening. Over time we’ve come to trust those voices and they provide an important service to these communities. We want to recognize that dedication when it comes time for license renewals and transactions and this proposal does just that.”

The Chairwoman circulated the proposal, as summarized:

A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to support local journalism that proposes to prioritize processing the review of applications for license renewal or for assignment or transfer of license filed by radio and television broadcast stations that provide locally originated programming.

The chairwoman of the FCC says radio and TV stations that invest in local programming should have priority in the processing and review of license renewal applications.

Jessica Rosenworcel is circulating a notice of proposed rulemaking to that effect with her colleagues on the commission. 

“There’s something special about when you hear a local voice on the airwaves or see a familiar face on your television set in the evening,” Rosenworcel said in a press release.

“Over time we’ve come to trust those voices and they provide an important service to these communities. We want to recognize that dedication when it comes time for license renewals and transactions, and this proposal does just that.” 

The text of the proposal has not been released yet, so we don’t know the details or whether her proposal is about just streamlining certain bureacratic steps or suggesting a more substantial change.

If adopted, the FCC said, the proposal would begin a proceeding to “incentivize” the production of local programming “by prioritizing the processing and review of applications from broadcast stations that invest in and prioritize local programming in communities across the country.” 

This would include applications for license renewal or assignment or transfer of license filed by radio and television broadcast stations that provide locally originated programming.

Reached for comment, Alex Siciliano, senior VP of communications with the National Association of Broadcasters, replied, “The FCC is right to acknowledge the vital role local broadcast stations play in connecting and informing their communities. Especially at a time when misinformation runs rampant online and newspapers are shuttering, local broadcasting remains one of the most trusted sources of news and information. We look forward to learning more about this proposal.”

The post Rosenworcel Floats Proposal to “Support Local Journalism” appeared first on Radio World.

The National Federation of Community Broadcasters’ board of directors has selected Rima Dael to head up the NFCB in the new year. Starting in January, Dael will serve as successor to current CEO Sally Kane, who has led the nonprofit for nearly 10 years, having started her role in January of 2014.

Rima Dael

“Taking the reins of NFCB from Sally Kane, whose leadership is greatly felt throughout our system, requires a visionary and inspiring leader. Rima Dael is that leader,” said Kerry Semrad, president of NFCB’s board of directors, in a press release. “Rima has a proven track record of advocating for independent stations, from our country’s largest cities to the smallest communities.

“She is a fierce champion of localism and belonging and she brings a passion for the essential role that community radio plays in our country.”

According to the NFCB, Dael was selected from a diverse pool of candidates after a five-month, nationwide search. In her new role, she will bring more than three decades of nonprofit experience in the public media, arts, education and human services sectors. Most recently, Dael served as the general manager of WSHU Public Radio in Fairfield, Conn., and was a member of NPR’s board of directors.

Dael is originally from the Philippines. She received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology and theatre arts from Mt. Holyoke College, and her master’s degree in nonprofit management from the Milano School of Management & Urban Policy at the New School University, where she was a Community Development Finance Fellow, said the NFCB.

“I am eager to build on the foundation Sally, the NFCB Board and NFCB membership have created,” said Dael in the release. “I believe that our community stations are a backbone for our communities. They are part of the safety net of our society, and they are a platform for individual and communal expression.”

According to its website, NFCB is the oldest and largest national organization dedicated to community stations within the public media system. NFCB’s mission is to provide services that allow community media to better serve their communities. It advocates for national public policy, funding, recognition and resources on behalf of its membership while providing services to strengthen multi-platform community media.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

The post NFCB Appoints Rima Dael as New CEO appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission entered into a consent decree with a low-power FM station in Puerto Rico after the station failed to follow several FCC rules. Violations include an unauthorized transfer of control and reassignment, inaccurate comments made in its renewal application, failure to maintain station logs and failure to comply with EAS-related requirements.

The licensee — Iglesia Refugio, Sanidad y Adoracion — filed an application with the Media Bureau asking to renew the license of WODB(LP) in Caguas, P.R., a city founded in 1775 that sits in the central mountain range of the island. 

At the time, the licensee certified that the station had not been silent for any period of more than 30 days. But a petition to deny was filed by Miguel A. Melendez claiming a number of transgressions. 

Among those were the claim that the station actually had been silent for a time between April 2016 and July 2016; that Iglesia failed to notify the commission of changes to its board of directors; that the station failed to maintain a main studio for the station; that it no longer qualified as a local entity to the town of Caguas; that the station ceased serving the public interest when it stopped airing live programming in July 2016; and that the station did not have any Emergency Alert System (EAS) equipment and never performed any EAS testing. 

As a result, the Media Bureau sent a letter of inquiry (LOI) to Iglesia asking for detailed information about Iglesia’s organizational and operational status, its board of directors and whether it was in compliance with the FCC’s EAS requirements. 

After reviewing documentation submitted by Iglesia, the bureau found a number of issues. According to the bureau, Iglesia did violate sections of the Communications Act of 1934 on two occasions. Specifically, the bureau noted there was an unauthorized transfer of control when Iglesia joined together with another church (Casa de Encuentro Con Dios Church) in July 2016 to jointly operate the station. 

Then, the Media Bureau discovered that an unauthorized assignment of the station occurred at one of two times: either in November 2018 when the merged churches registered with the Department of State in Puerto Rico as a new nonprofit organization named Ministerio Internacional Casa de Encuentro Con Dios Inc., or in June 2020 when Iglesia asked the government of Puerto Rico to terminate its corporate existence. 

The bureau also found that Iglesia violated FCC Rules when it claimed in its application that it had not been silent for more than 30 days. Instead the bureau found that the station had been silent for more than a month in 2016. As the rules state, it is the licensee’s responsibility to ensure the accuracy of all information on its renewal application. Also, since Iglesia did not submit station log information (as the bureau requested), the bureau was not able to confirm that the station successfully maintained station logs. The bureau was also unable to verify if the station has been performing required weekly EAS tests since Iglesia only indicated that EAS equipment “exists in our station.” 

The bureau, however, did not agree with all of Melendez’s arguments, including Melendez’s assessment that Iglesia was required to notify the commission about changes to its board of directors. Under FCC Rules, a licensee of an LPFM station only needs to notify the commission when there is a sudden majority board change. Iglesia was not required to report a gradual change to its board of directors — even though, as in this case, those changes end up eventually resulting in a change in the majority of the board’s ownership.

[Related: “Applying for a Low-Power FM Station: Gathering All the Pieces“]

The bureau also rejected Melendez’s allegation that since Iglesia moved its headquarters to the village of Juncos, which is about eight miles east of Caguas, it therefore failed to maintain its status as a local organization and thus should lose its LPFM license.

Under the FCC rulebook, there are two ways for a nonprofit organization to demonstrate that it is local: one, that its local chapter or branch is physically headquartered or has a campus within 10 miles of the proposed site (for top 50 urban markets) or 20 miles for applicants outside that DMA; or two, that the station has 75 percent of its board members residing within 10 miles for top 50 urban markets or 20 miles for those outside that range. According to the bureau, Iglesia established that his LPFM was local by showing that all its board members resided within 20 miles of the station’s transmitter site. As a result, the change in headquarters did not impact Iglesia’s local status. 

The bureau also rejected Melendez’s assertion that the station was no longer serving the public interest because it had not offered live programming since July 2016. Programming that serves the public interest need not be live, the bureau said. It also rejected Melendez’s assertion that Iglesia had failed to maintain a staff and main studio since the award of the construction permit did not require that the licensee meet that pledge.

Additionally, the bureau did not find any compliance issues as related to the station’s operational history since the bureau found that Iglesia had obtained special temporary authority to be silent between April 2016 and July 2016.

As part of its decision, the bureau entered into a consent decree with Iglesia to resolve the issues related to the unauthorized transfer of control, the unauthorized assignment of the station’s FCC authorization, the inaccurate certification made in the renewal application and its failure to maintain station logs and to comply with EAS-related requirements. 

As part of the consent decree, Iglesia agrees to follow a three-year compliance plan to ensure the station operates within FCC rules in the future.

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The post Puerto Rico LPFM Inks Consent Decree to Restart Application Process appeared first on Radio World.

Calling it a major milestone, Xperi says the number of cars incorporating HD Radio has surpassed 100 million.

It made that announcement in releasing its third-quarter financial results. CEO Jon Kirchner noted that a full year has passed since Xperi spun off from Adeia, “a year highlighted by significant design wins and strong business momentum across our key growth areas, coupled with solid financial performance, including comparable 6 percent revenue growth over the prior year trailing 12 months.”

Revenue in the quarter was $130.4 million compared to $121.6 million in the same period last year. Xperi posted a GAAP operating loss in the quarter of $31.1 million, compared to a loss of $399.1 million a year ago.

Kirchner said Xperi is “entering a particularly exciting phase as our business momentum is translating into tangible operational milestones, such as video services powered by TiVo now shipping in Vestel Smart TVs, as well as in BMW cars.”

The connected car is a key part of the company’s business, and video is playing a growing role within that context. Xperi noted that the DTS AutoStage Video Service, “Powered by TiVo,” recently was integrated into the BMW 5-Series.

“These vehicles are now in showrooms across the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain and South Korea. BMW will expand the AutoStage Video rollout in these regions to a broad range of additional models across various vehicle segments.”

Within the radio space, Xperi noted that in the quarter it won a new HD Radio and DTS AutoStage program with Ford Motor Co. for its new radio platform unveiled at the North American Auto Show this fall. It said that program is now in production for certain North American vehicles.

Kirchner said reaching 100 million cars with HD Radio demonstrates “the relevance and longevity of our technology platform and related ecosystem,” according to an Insider Monkey transcript of the investor call.

Xperi’s business areas include its media platform, connected cars, pay TV, consumer electronics and an AI-based platform called Perceive.

[Read the Xperi quarterly financial summary.]

The post HD Radio Passes 100 Million Car Mark appeared first on Radio World.

DAB is a great digital radio platform. But it will never replace analog FM broadcasting in Australia. So said Ford Ennals, CEO of Australia’s Commercial Radio & Audio, during his “DAB Down Under” talk at the WorldDAB Summit 2023. It was held in Munich, Germany on Nov. 8 with more than 400 people attending in-person and online.

“In Australia, we were a relative early adopter of DAB,” said Ennals. “We’ve had it for about 14 years or so; 2009 I think we started. And it’s important, but it will never take the place of FM. I think there will be markets where DAB has an important role to play, but it’s a complementary and supporting role.”

The reason is “the sheer scale of this country,” he explained. “Australia is a huge landmass. It’s about the same physical side as Europe if you take out Russia, yet our population is about the size of Benelux. So it’s a big country and there aren’t that many people in the country, and that does give us real issues with coverage and reception.”

Ford Ennals at the 2023 WorldDAB Summit Strong Growth

Despite these issues, DAB listenership has expanded since the service was launched in Australia, said Ennals.

“Listening is growing,” he told the summit audience. “It’s 5.5 million listeners every week. It’s about 20 percent of all listening to radio in Australia, with 200 stations on air and it’s in 80 percent of new cars. So we’re not up to European levels where you’re 90-plus percent, but, at 80 percent, it’s very, very strong. The exciting thing is we see a real strong growth in news stations and exciting new content as well. It’s in the five major markets, and 67 percent of the population are covered.”

The number of Australian DAB stations is also growing. “Yes, the biggest, most successful stations are the FM and AM stations, but some of the unique DAB-only stations are hugely successful and very innovative,” Ennals said. He said a prime example is the DAB-only youth-focused station “TikTok Trending on iHeartRadio,” along with other DAB-only stations aimed at younger listeners. 

“Given the challenges that all radio around the world has with young audiences, DAB is proving to be a real boom for that audience. That’s probably not surprising that DAB actually skews in Australia to younger listeners. I think they enjoy these genre-specific stations as well. So it’s an important part of our program for building listening with younger listeners.”

Australian DAB is also making gains among motorists. Given the country’s size, “We probably drive more than most countries,” Ennals said. “So the car is very, very important in Australia. And DAB in the car is absolutely critical.”

More Consumer Radios Needed

Like many other DAB countries, Australia’s biggest challenge is convincing consumers to buy digital radios. “We do marketing, of course; we tend to have a retail focus,” said Ennals. “DAB sales have grown over time but are challenged as we see across Europe.” 

He added that Panasonic and Philips are the only two manufacturers bringing large quantities of DAB receivers into Australia. “I’m used to operating in the U.K. market, where we had Roberts and Ruark,” Ennals said. “They aren’t present at the moment in Australia. And we would very much welcome anyone who wants to come and bring innovative DAB products to Australia. We’ll support you, so if you’re in the room and want to do that, let me know.”

Finishing up-his DAB Down Under presentation, Ford Ennals expanded on his central message, reiterating that DAB won’t take over from FM. “What DAB will do is overtake AM listening probably in the next six months, which is also about 20 percent [of listening],” he said. “Nevertheless, I think AM will be sustained. And once again, the big issue is our geography. The big issue is trying to get coverage outside of those five metropolitan areas, which leaves us issues because road networks between the major metropolitan markets aren’t covered [by DAB]. And we do need to look at potential to expand.”

[Related: “Radio for Android Automotive Discussed at DAB Event“]

The post Ennals: DAB Will Never Replace FM In Australia appeared first on Radio World.

An AI watermark and content measurement and enhancement technology firm has introduced a watermarking system to digitally authenticate and track “trusted” news sources for video.

While the topic has come up across the attack on Israel by terrorist organization Hamas, and Israel’s response to the actions that include hostages, Verance is pitching the product as an worthy tool for use advance of the 2024 elections.

 

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — No, he’s not involved with Apartments.com. Rather, the Chairman of the FCC under President Trump is taking a role associated with America’s Public Television Stations (APTS).

 

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The subject of “cord cutting” has long been enmeshed in the ongoing dialogue regarding the future health of television consumption in the U.S. While cable television networks are perhaps most at risk from declining subscriber rolls, broadcast television companies also face a pending conundrum — retransmission consent revenue that could collapse, should cable TV services wither away.

The latter topic is a key reason why extending retransmission consent regulations established by Congress some 30 years ago to virtual MVPD services such as YouTubeTV is a key desire of TV station owners and the NAB.

Based on a Wall Street analyst’s assessment of the pay-TV market based on Q3 revenue reports from MVPDs, ensuring broadcast TV gets their “fair share” in compensation from vMVPD may be the most vital long-term goal for the industry. Why? “There is no light at the end of the pay-TV tunnel.”

 

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In April 2021, she became VP/Market Manager for the publicly traded audio content creation and distribution company’s radio stations serving Eugene-Springfield, Ore. Now, she is being promoted by Cumulus Media to a Regional Vice President post, and is adding duties in a Silver State market.

Now RVP for Eugene-Springfield and Reno, Nevada, is Tricia Gallenbeck.

She’ll now add Cumulus Media’s radio stations and digital offerings in Reno to her purview; Cumulus has been actively seeking individuals for programming, sales and production for the stations: Country KBUL “NASH FM 98.1,” News/Talk KKOH-AM 780, R&B KNEV-FM “95.5 The Vibe” and Rhythmic Top 40 KWYL “Wild 102.9.”

For Gallenbeck, it marks a return to overseeing radio stations in Nevada’s second-largest market. Before joining Cumulus, she served as Vice President/General Manager of Reno Media Group, a role she had accepted at the start of 2016. Prior to that, Gallenbeck spent 12 years with Beasley Media Group, including Las Vegas-based roles as General Sales Manager and Director of New Business and Events before becoming Director of Sales for the Fayetteville, N.C., stations owned by Beasley.

Gallenbeck assumes a role formerly held by Jennifer Odom, for nearly 12 years; Odom’s status with Cumulus Media was not disclosed by the company when noting Gallenbeck’s promotion. A Cumulus spokesperson has been contacted for comment by RBR+TVBR.

Bob Walker, President of Operations for Cumulus Media, said, “We are thrilled to expand Tricia’s responsibilities and welcome her back to Reno. Her experience and relationships in the market are unmatched.”

Gallenbeck commented, “It’s very exciting to be back in Reno. The team members who rally together to make KBUL, KKOH, KNEV and KWYL the dominant formats they are in the market are true professionals with a deep love for their community. It’s an honor that Bob Walker and Don Morin trusted me to work with the teams in both Reno, Nevada, and Eugene, Oregon. Great things to come!”

Cumulus Media owns and operates five radio stations in Eugene-Springfield: Sports Radio 95.3FM/KUJZ-FM (Sports); KZEL 96.1/KZEL-FM (Classic Rock); KUGN 590/KUGN-AM (News/Talk); Alternative@103.7 NRQ/KNRQ-FM (Alternative); and Star 102.3/KEHK-FM (Hot AC).

It calls itself “a pioneer in mobile app development” that has rolled out over 1,000 apps
across North America, Europe, and Latin America and has collaborated with upward of 60 media companies for its propriety platform.

Now, AirKast has struck a deal with a sales representation firm led by a veteran radio industry figure.

 

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It’s the parent of DTS AutoStage, TiVo and HD Radio, and in third quarter of 2022 saw a nearly $400 million operating loss. This year, there was revenue growth, and a loss that shrunk considerably year-over-year.

The biggest takeaway from Xperi Corp.? Adjusted EBITDA in Q3 2023 was positive, demonstrating that the company is making significant strides toward profitability.

 

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The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) on Monday announced that the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has provided a $250,000 grant for the organization’s broadcast industry recruitment efforts.

The grant from the Knight Foundation will enable NABLF to bolster its collegiate programs, provide more internships, increase diversity in the broadcast industry and conduct research to advance the broadcast industry’s career development initiatives.

A portion of the grant will fund internships for students currently participating in NABLF’s Media Sales Academy (MSA) and Technology Apprenticeship Program (TAP). The goal of MSA is to bring entry-level sales talent to the broadcast industry by providing college students with the tools, resources and connections needed to launch a media career and stay ahead of the competition. TAP students receive technical education to prepare them for entry-level engineering and IT roles in broadcasting. Graduates of the program receive membership and Certified Broadcast Technologist (CBT) certification from the Society of Broadcast Engineers, along with AWS Cloud Practitioner training and certification

“We are grateful for the Knight Foundation’s generous support, which will allow the foundation to expand our industry recruitment efforts and provide more opportunities for the next generation of broadcasters,” said NABLF President Michelle Duke. “Their investment gives students in the Media Sales Academy and Technology Apprentice Program the chance to engage in real world application through paid internships and will prepare them for their future careers.”

“Knight Foundation is proud to support NABLF’s programs for diversifying the broadcasting industry,” said Duc Luu, Director of Journalism at the Knight Foundation. “Broadcasters have a tremendous opportunity to inform and engage their communities if they reflect the true breadth of the audiences they serve. The students that will go through these programs will have unique opportunities to learn about the possibilities and challenges of rewarding careers in broadcasting, and that is due to the hard work and strategies that NABLF has put in place.”

All of NABLF’s educational programs are made possible by contributions from sponsors and donors. The Future Leaders Fund enables the Foundation to expand these programs for more participants and offer resources for students and young professionals who want to pursue careers in broadcasting.

— RBR+TVBR Washington Bureau