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The “Next Best Thing Media Tour” is rolling onward, having visited almost two dozen markets so far, and with a long list to go before it concludes around Thanksgiving time.

Greg Dahl

It’s a traveling outdoor equipment expo intended to help engineers and others see equipment or talk to vendors in person, in this year without an NAB Show. In some cases the visits coincide with SBE chapter meetings.

Stops for the week of Sept. 28 are Philadelphia, Baltimore, Raleigh and Charlotte. Major markets on the list and yet to be visited include Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Dallas, Houston, Miami and Atlanta.

Prime movers in the effort include Greg Dahl of Second Opinion Communication, Dave Kerstin of Broadcasters General Store and Jeff Williams of Yellowtec.

Companies with product and/or people taking part are American Recorders, Angry Audio, BDI, Broadcast Bionics, Broadcast Tools Inc., CANARE Corp. of America, CircuitWerkes, Comrex, DJB, ENCO Systems Inc., Graham Studios, Henry Engineering, Inovonics Inc., Kathrein Broadcast USA, Kintronic Labs, Masterclock, Inc, Myat, NotaBotYet, Radio Design Labs, Shoreview Distribution, Shure Incorporated, Sprite Media, Summit Technologies Group, Telos Alliance, Vclock, and WorldCast Group.

Dahl has said that the idea was inspired in part by the “Taste of NAB” tour that Larry Bloomfield conducted over several years.

The tour stops in four communities each week. The group photo above was taken this week in Cleveland.

Masks and hand sanitizer are available at each location. The organizers said equipment and surfaces are sanitized between interactions.

A link to the schedule is available at the Second Opinion Facebook page.

Traveling van of Second Opinion Communications.

 

The post “Next Best Thing” Tour on Mid-Atlantic Swing appeared first on Radio World.

The National Association of Broadcasters is standing behind the Federal Communications Commission decision not to create a new class of low-power FM stations.

In a Report and Order issued earlier this year, the FCC concluded that it would not move to create a new class of 250-watt LPFM stations, known as the LP-250 service. The NAB agreed with the FCC in recently submitted comments, arguing that there is no reason for the FCC to create another class of service, governed by a different set of rules. Moreover, the association said, if an LPFM applicant or station wants to operate a 250-watt radio station, it can apply for a Class A license just like any other entity.

[Read: LPFM Stations Seek Technical Upgrades]

A formal Petition for Reconsideration was filed by a group of LPFM/NCE community radio engineer advocates as part of an FCC Report and Order on modernizing media regulations (formally known as Amendment of Parts 73 and 74 to Improve the Low Power FM Radio Service Technical Rules, Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, MB Docket Nos. 19-193 and 17-105). Those commenters included Todd Urick with Common Frequency, Paul Bame with the Prometheus Radio Project and five other LPFM operators and engineers.

The group complained in its most recent filing that the FCC did not adequately acknowledge LPFM advocates’ concerns nor did it address numerous sentiments regarding the subject in the final FCC order. Specifically, the commenters argued that LP-250 is not in conflict with the Local Community Radio Act’s requirement regarding reducing minimum distance separations between LPFM and full-service stations. The commenters said that nothing in the commission’s reasoning within the order offer adequate enough rationale for denying the creation of an LP-250 service.

Rather, they said, the commission seemed to imply that the LP-250 issue required further study, which the commenters infer to mean that the commission intends to open a proceeding in the future to solicit various LP-250 proposals for stakeholders to contemplate. In addition, such a solicitation would also address LPFM operators’ concerns about low-power FM service deficiencies that curtail listener reception.

“There does not seem conclusive reasoning to not consider a LP-250 service,” the group said in its comments. “The commission has vastly assisted in relief concerning AM broadcasters failing coverage. Shouldn’t commensurate effort be extended to ameliorating LPFM coverage issues? [Plus,] there is certainly a demand for relief concerning LPFM interference/underpower concerns within the station’s 60 dBu contour of many LPFM stations.”

The NAB responded by saying the petitioners are only rehashing claims in support of LP-250 service that the FCC already fully considered. The petitioners also offer no new information about the burden on applicants of preparing contour studies and entirely ignore the impact on the FCC of having to review such studies, the NAB said. The association also said that although the text of the LCRA does not specifically cap LPFM power levels, the act does prohibit reduction of the minimum distance separations between LPFM and FM stations and that LP-250 supporters have not shown that LP250 service could be consistent with these spacing requirements.

“Petitioners urge the FCC to relitigate its view of the LCRA, but do not offer any additional facts or policy reasons,” the NAB said. “The FCC has repeatedly and consistently spoken on this matter, and while petitioners may disagree with the commission, the FCC’s approach is perfectly valid, thoughtful and requires deference.”

The NAB reminded the FCC that the group failed to provide new facts or new arguments in this subsequent round of comments, which is a necessary part of the process when the FCC considers reversing an earlier decision.

“As [the commenters are] well-aware, the act struck a careful balance between the interests of noncommercial entities for more licensing of LPFM stations with those of incumbent services for interference safeguards,” the NAB said in its comments. “Allowing LPFM stations to more than double their maximum power now, a decade later, would upend the careful balance that stakeholders forged at the time.”

Comments on the issue can be viewed within the FCC’s ECFS electronic database using Docket 17-105 or 19-193.

 

The post FCC Decision to Nix Creation of New LPFM Class Gets Reactions appeared first on Radio World.

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MB grants a request from APTS/PBS to waive the requirement for NCE translator stations to email a baseline carriage notice to MVPDs

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A promotional image for the FM-world app.

DTS and its parent company Xperi said they’ve expanded DTS Connected Radio coverage in Italy by working with FM-world, a radio station streaming and aggregation platform.

DTS Connected Radio is a hybrid radio platform built around a database of broadcast metadata. Xperi says the platform is about to come to market in a number of 2021 vehicles. Hybrid systems combine over-the-air reception with internet connectivity to provide features like enhanced graphics, geo-targeting and data aggregation.

[Read: Xperi Highlights Its In-Cabin Monitoring Efforts]

FM-world — part of technology company Elenos, which also owns Broadcast Electronics — describes itself as “an ecosystem that lives around the radio.” Its activities include an online newspaper about radio and an app for radio listening that includes visual radio capabilities.

Under this agreement FM-world content will be integrated into the Xperi platform, feeding data and streams to the DTS Connected Radio system on behalf of its own Italian broadcast partners and other markets.

“The companies have completed and validated country-wide integration in Italy and will rapidly add more FM-world territories in other countries,” they announced.

The announcement was made by Gianluca Busi, CEO of FM-world, and Joe D’Angelo, senior vice president of radio at Xperi.

“FM-world will feed validated live, now-playing data, as well as station streaming services into DTS Connected Radio,” according to the announcement. “This collaboration will provide all FM-world’s broadcast clients with turnkey integration and presence in the DTS Connected Radio ecosystem.”

D’Angelo was quoted saying of FM-world: “Their unique position in Italy, and other markets, makes them an ideal partner as we work to revolutionize the in-car radio listening experience.”

Xperi recently completed its merger with Tivo. It is also the parent of HD Radio as well as DTS AutoSense, a line of car occupancy and driver monitoring systems.

 

The post Xperi Partners With FM-world in Italy appeared first on Radio World.

James Ragsdale

James Ragsdale, a former finance executive at Anderson University in Indiana, will be the new executive director of the Society of Broadcast Engineers.

When he comes on board in January, Ragsdale will be only the second full-time executive director of SBE.

He was chosen from a field of 28 candidates to succeed John Poray, who will step down at the end of 2020 after almost three decades. Poray gave the society a one-year heads up that he’d be leaving.

[Read: “SBE’s Poray to Retire in 2020”]

Ragsdale was the VP for finance at Anderson University, a private liberal arts school where he managed the operational budget; he was a member of the university president’s leadership team and oversaw the business office, human resources, physical plant, police and security, and auxiliary services.

Prior, Ragsdale was senior financial analyst at Ascension Technologies, where he managed the operational and capital budgets for Indiana Market and St. Vincent Health system. He also was treasurer and controller at Church of God Ministries and practice administrator at Anderson Family Practice Associates.

John Poray

He holds a bachelor of arts degree in business management and public affairs at what was then called Anderson College; he has a masters of business administration in finance from Indiana University.

The SBE board approved the appointment following a meeting Tuesday.

Society President Wayne Pecena thanked the people involved in the search effort including Past President Joe Snelson, who led the search committee.

The non-profit professional society is based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has approximately 5,000 members and 114 local chapters.

John Poray was SBE’s first full-time executive director and has been with the society since 1992. He began his career in with the Boy Scouts of America’s Central Ohio Council and went on to work for Kiwanis International, The Apartment Association of Indiana and The Columbus Apartment Association.

The post SBE Names Its New Executive Director appeared first on Radio World.

Our First Amendment freedoms are an essential part of our democracy and the National Association of Broadcasters wants to celebrate that.

The NAB announced the launch of a campaign celebrating the First Amendment and its guarantee of free speech and the press. The campaign — which is being hosted at WeAreBroadcasters.com — provides a toolkit with on-air and digital resources to help media professionals, policymakers and the public celebrate the First Amendment.

[Read: NAB Ad Campaign Emphasizes Local Broadcasting]

“America’s founders, in their infinite wisdom, understood that our country could not long survive without a free press that could report the facts and deliver their opinions without fear or favor,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith in a statement. “NAB celebrates this enduring principle that has kept our communities informed and engaged since our nation’s early days, and we honor the ongoing work of the press in preserving our democracy.”

The campaign coincides with the 231st anniversary of congressional passage of 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution that were sent to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were eventually adopted as the Bill of Rights — the First Amendment provided the freedom of religion, speech, the press and the right of assembly.

The NAB created a series of radio and TV spots for broadcasters available in English and Spanish. The resources include an interactive timeline of key First Amendment moments in history, shareable video and social media posts, on-air talking points, and a listing of association, organizations and partners that defend and support the First Amendment.

 

The post NAB Launches Campaign Celebrating the First Amendment appeared first on Radio World.

Axis Entertainment Inc., has released its latest NextKast Broadcast automation, Terrestrial License. The latest automation offering has evolved over the last few years as the software adds more terrestrial customers looking for an intuitive software with the power to run FM, AM, and HD radio stations at an affordable cost.

Some of the features include Natural Log, Marketron, and other traffic merging; Advanced Nexus Integration with Music Master; ability to import external logs from most other music scheduling programs; enhanced live assist screen with track search on second screen; current hour remote and in studio voice tracking; advanced playlist macros; and much more. TCP and cloud-based voice tracking is available for PC, and cloud-based voice tracking on MacOS.

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

The scheduler includes features like multipass scheduling (giving power categories artist separation bias), granular hourly mood/feature/gender flow, daypart sectioning for evenly distributing songs in different dayparts, date and time track restrictions, and more.

Hardware triggering is achieved using serial connection either USB or RS-232 using the Broadcast Tools relay boards like the SRC-16 Plus or SRC-4. The software can run well in a virtual server environment because of its minimal CPU and memory requirements. It has been time tested running in the Telos Alliance Axia IP-Audio Driver environment.

The new affiliate mode allows one main studio instance generating music and voice tracking, while affiliate stations have control of local commercials, imaging and station IDs. The end result is each affiliate’s imaging and commercials are unique to that station but voice tracks and music are shared, eliminating satellite or remote triggering scenarios. NextKast Broadcast version now also integrates closely with syndicated content providers such as local radio networks and others.

Info: www.nextkast.com

 

The post NextKast Has Licensed Version Option appeared first on Radio World.

The author of this commentary is chief engineer for Entercom Communications station WIP(FM) in Philadelphia.

Ben Hill

I wrote an opinion piece in Radio World almost 20 years ago that I headlined “Fly in the Milk,” hoping to draw attention to the lack of opportunity for minorities in U.S. radio engineering. The issue didn’t gather much steam.

Today, much national attention is focused on racial issues. Recent stories in Radio World have been exploring the professional experiences of Black radio engineers. It seems a good time to update my earlier commentary and share my own.

Getting here

Dr. King’s work nationally, and local civil rights efforts in my city, certainly influenced me growing up. It was North Philadelphia and the 1960s. Police and parents were on the same page for “law and order.”

It seemed a time of innocence; and then came the Vietnam War. Everything changed.

Growing up a young Black person in America, the pressure can be intense; but my mother never allowed us to wallow in self-pity or to be afraid to venture out in the world and accomplish things. There was no playing the race card. But we had to stand up for ourselves.

My family had a lot of dignity and grace, since most of my relatives were housekeepers, maids and butlers. My high school was 90% white, and there were heavy racial tensions and fights.

I couldn’t wait to get out of there. No proms or sports really; it wasn’t good to be around after school. I was busy tinkering and trying to fix broken mechanical and electric appliances.

As a kid I could fix things, especially electronic items; I was working on radios and TVs by the age of 14. I attended a tech trade school for electronics that nurtured and taught me. The school was 50% black in the student body, which helped me to fit into it.

My professor Mr. Wortham told us, “Boys, you will learn all the technical stuff you will need; but dealing with people and co-workers? That will be a bigger challenge for you.” Boy he was right.

A couple of electronic repair jobs brought in some income but I was bored. I liked radio. I liked to play on-air radio contests; and I won a lot.

My radio career began because a morning show host wanted employees who looked like the predominately Black audience the station served. A noble cause indeed! A friend of mine told me about the job. I went to work at WHAT, a 1 kW AM station in Philadelphia. It was a crazy exciting place. The FM was WWDB.

This lasted about a year before I was let go; why I don’t know. Someone else was hired to replace me who wasn’t Black; but he was a good engineer, I was told.

I interviewed for jobs but didn’t get them. I knew things weren’t right because some of the interviews didn’t include a tour of the facility, no in-depth questions on my technical ability and not even eye contact in some cases.

But I also was interviewed and given a test by the legendary engineer Glynn Walden at KYW. He said I was very good; but he wasn’t hiring me because the job was a board operator position, and he said I was better than that. He told me to find an engineering job. He was right. Thanks Glynn!

Always back to radio

These interviews took me all over the Philly and New Jersey area. Meanwhile I taught broadcast electronics for the First Class engineering license. I had gotten mine by passing the tests for the Third, Second and then the First, which later became a General license.

I met a guy teaching at the school who’d heard that a job was open at a 1 kW station in Camden, WSSJ(AM). I applied. The African-American owner told me I was the only Black candidate he’d seen; he asked an engineering friend to interview me, not a radio guy but a nice person, and I was hired that day.

At WSSJ we built new studios and had to rebuild the transmitter site after an arson fire. The station was sold within two years. I decided to leave and take another teaching assignment at a trade school for electronics. Officially done with the radio business — I had had it! I was frustrated again; the career in radio didn’t seem to be happening.

This chapter went well, and I actually relearned electronics by teaching it, especially RF electronics. But a friend called me and said there were a couple of radio engineering jobs open in Philly.

I interviewed at the WSNI(FM)/WPGR(AM) combo. I got the job. The manager said that he liked that I came to the interview with my suit jacket over my arm and my sleeves rolled (it was a hot day). They took me right in as soon as I arrived.

We clicked the day I became chief at those stations, dealing with high-power FM and a 50 kW AM.

From there and over 40 years I have prospered at some of the biggest and best stations in the Philly area.

And I did eventually get to work for Glynn Walden, at WIP and KYW Newsradio for CBS Radio, which had been a dream job.

Creating positive culture

I’ve been known as something of a Radio Mr. Fix It, but I try to be more than that, remembering Mr. Wortham’s advice about people.

I walk around the station several times in the morning to make sure all is good — with the facility, but also with my co-workers. Someone’s memory is jogged by seeing me walk by. I get early warning of an impending issue. I ask not only “What else needs fixing” but also “How is your family?”

A friendly approach is always better than the alternative. Mom used to say you get more with a cup of sugar than a bowl of salt.

I tried to create a culture, a way to let young board ops and DJs and announcers know that someone was looking out for them. If they needed a pair of headphones or advice on building a home studio. Or cooking BBQ or one of my famous fish fries.

My friendly approach helped so much with making friends in a White world that was so different to the one I grew up in. Positive attitude and uplifting approach, even when I was not happy or pleased with the situation, really made a difference for me. No one was going to accuse me of a bad attitude or a chip on my shoulder.

I have wondered over the years how I was regarded by my engineering peers. I always felt concerned to fit in and be recognized as competent and knowledgeable, like they were. Not a token. Black.

This wondering — about whether we fit in or will be accepted — is added pressure we have to cope with daily.

Start with education

I have not seen a lot of racism but I’ve seen racial bias. I have heard the question in a crowd, “Who is the chief?” and seen their surprise when I identified myself. I’ve been at a convention and had someone think I couldn’t comprehend or understand how antennas or transmitters work.

Also I questioned why I could never seem to get a promotion. A dear friend, an industry stalwart who is White, told me, “They prefer to hire and promote those who look like them.” I appreciate him for telling me that. (This was not the 1970s or ’80s but far more recently.) He personally didn’t hire that way, saying he felt diversity was important for all of us.

I think that my Black peers — the few I know and with whom I’ve spoken about this — are well aware of the spotlight on us to succeed. Our mere presence in this radio world is a great thing because we are succeeding and benefiting. It has always been a form of protest to me, my presence.

But there are no new Black engineers coming along. Maybe in western and southern cities, but I haven’t seen it in the north. There have been some IT pros and some remote engineering guys I have met. Not many.

What to do about it?

Discussion on race as with any discussion needs to be followed with action plans. We need every major learning center in this country to open their doors with scholarships and grants to allow young Blacks and Latinos to attend college or trade school.

This would go a long way to helping young people find their way. We need to use our schools and universities as training and “melting pots,” learning from each other while we learn our particular craft.

And radio and TV companies should hire young people to fill their empty studios and buildings, especially at night. Where will the future radio DJs and workforce come from if we keep automating and cutting people?

The most startling fact I’ve heard about population lately is there are more young people under the age of 30 living on this planet than ever. They need guidance and mentors and education.

Removing the names of former presidents’ from buildings because of their racial misdeeds is good, I guess. But these universities need to make tuition free, especially at state-funded schools. Offer free education to young inner-city youth. Support inner-city schools, especially high schools and top-performing charter schools.

President Kennedy once said “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”

I would amend that to “What more can I do to help my country?” Help young people succeed by mentoring, educating and offering them an alternative to the negatives they see.

I had the same encouragement and it worked for me.

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

[Related: “Is Diversity in U.S. Radio Engineering Possible?”]

The post Perspectives of a Fly in the Milk 2020 appeared first on Radio World.

Cover image from a WorldDAB presentation about metadata

The author of this commentary is chair of the WorldDAB UX Group and director, Radioplayer Automotive Partnerships.

At WorldDAB we recently launched a targeted communications campaign, urging radio broadcasters to prioritize the provision of great-looking images and informative text (metadata) for car dashboards.

The campaign includes a video explainer for senior execs, plus FAQs and a factsheet for those wanting to find out more. There’s also a dedicated email address through which broadcasters can ask WorldDAB to point them in the direction of organizations who can help. Information is available at https://www.worlddab.org/automotive/metadata.

For many reading this, the campaign and messaging to broadcasters might seem blindingly obvious. Why wouldn’t you do everything to ensure your station and branding looks great in cars?

Depending on which country you’re in, consumption in cars could account for anything from 25% to 50% of all listening.

But not everyone will have the same understanding of what needs to be done, or the time and resource to prioritize it. This is where WorldDAB and its member network can help.

We need to set this campaign against the backdrop of the pandemic, with the accompanying economic downturn, which has hit everyone hard.

We understand why metadata might not make it to the top of everyone’s to-do list right now, so how do we make progress in this critical area?

The answer to that conundrum comes in the answers to two questions: Why act now? And what do you actually need to do?

Why act now?

Because dashboard technology is changing faster than ever before. We need to react to the new dashboard environment and work hard to create a great radio experience as the competition for ears and eyes in the car increases.

Technologies that allow pairing of smartphones to the dashboard (like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) have already opened up a wider choice of media sources, but now we have an app ecosystem available directly in the dashboard for the first time, thanks to the new Android Automotive operating system, launched in the Polestar 2 earlier this year.

Media and audio apps can now be downloaded directly to car dashboards via embedded SIM cards in the car. The increased number of services is forcing a rethink from car manufacturers about the user journey and interface, including the radio button.

It is vital that we continue to push for radio’s prominence on the dashboard given its popularity in-car and clear value to consumers. Many car manufacturers still provide a radio button, but a study from the National Association of Broadcasters of 50 cars at U.S. automotive exhibitions showed that the number of cars with a specific button on the dash for radio had decreased from 39% in 2017 to 26% in 2019.

This is not down to car manufacturers downgrading radio, but rather with more media services available on their interface they need to create a “user journey” that makes sense. At the same time, color touchscreens are replacing physical buttons, and these screens are getting bigger, brighter and sharper, making the visual experience of radio more important than ever.

[Related: “Metadata Is Both Glue and Lubrication,” Q&A with NPR’s David Julian Gray]

While this presents a challenge, there is also a big opportunity here for the radio industry, and we need to deliver if we’re to keep our car manufacturer partners supporting radio.

The good news is that they are more engaged than ever before. They want radio to look great in their cars, but this means they are disappointed and frustrated when it does not.

The same will be true of consumers who will compare radio to other app experiences, rightly expecting radio to look as good, if not better. So we must act now.

Within the WorldDAB Automotive Group (a collaboration of broadcasters, vehicle manufacturers, Tier 1s and companies offering solutions for radio to the vehicle industry), we believe that we must focus on the “user experience.”

If the radio UX is fantastic, and the content is great, our listeners will stay engaged. Of course within WorldDAB we see the heart of that UX being DAB+ (HD radio in the U.S.), alongside FM and streaming in a hybrid radio. We believe that digital broadcast radio is vital for robust, quality, free-to-air access. The question then is, when the station is playing, what appears on the large color screen that brings it to life?

The answer is metadata.

As a minimum, broadcasters should be providing a high-resolution station logo, the station name and description.

It’s likely that listeners will also want to know what show they’re listening to, the song that’s playing and who it’s by, they may also want an image of the artist. This is metadata, and without it radio risks appearing as a blank screen, disappointing listeners, car manufacturers and missing the chance to promote one’s station and brand.

[Read more Radio World articles about metadata.]

The work we do now to prioritize metadata for the car will also establish a baseline experience on which we can build with our car manufacturer partners.

Screens will get bigger and entertainment even more important, as drivers become passengers in autonomous cars.

For example, could there be an option in the future to show live video from the studio when hands are off the wheel? This isn’t going to happen any time soon but collaborating now with car manufacturers on a roadmap for metadata will allow us to plan to introduce more exciting features in the future and keep the radio UX strong.

So, what do we actually need to do?

Well, if you’re a radio exec, there are some simple steps you can take.

First, make someone responsible for getting your metadata to the car. It’s likely that your station will have already created all the metadata you need for use on your station apps or web players, so no problems there.

You will then need to see if you can make this metadata available over the air on DAB+, and you can also work with an organization who can help get your metadata to car manufacturers over the internet.

WorldDAB can put you in touch with member organizations who can help. Just email metadata@worlddab.org.

Additional resources are available at https://www.worlddab.org/resources/metadata/. They include an animated video that explains why it’s important for stations to have a visual presence; an information Sheet aimed at radio managers and those working at a technical level; and a video presentation to promote the use of metadata within the broadcasting industry. That video is below:

 

The post Metadata: Keeping Radio Strong in the Car appeared first on Radio World.

V-Soft FMCommander

Signal monitoring and measurement software developer V-Soft has scheduled to training webinars for Oct. 7 for to of its well-known programs, FMCommander and Probe 5.

Starting at 9:30 a.m. Doug Vernier will introduce the FMCommander signal mapping program. Then he’ll take attendees through several examples, showing valuable hidden features and the most effective ways to use the program’s capability.

[Read: V-Soft Updates RFHaz]

V-Soft Probe 5

At 1 p.m. John Gray will take on the Probe 5 signal propagation program with examples using new, timesaving, features that analyze and map coverage and interference.

The webinars are open to anyone interested. To enroll send an email to enroll@v-soft.com with your name and the webinars you will be attending.

Information can be had at info@v-soft.com.

 

The post V-Soft Schedules Training Webinars for Oct. 7 appeared first on Radio World.

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