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The origins of Jacobs Media’s Techsurvey can be traced to the early 2000s when the scale of change in consumer electronics and media consumption was becoming evident. 

Fred Jacobs, president of the research and consulting firm, says he had a natural curiosity about how changes in listening habits, devices and platforms affect radio stations. 

The rise of the connected car and smart speaker systems like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomePod are having a significant impact on today’s radio listening environment, as are the podcast movement and other on-demand entertainment options. 

However, the online survey also reveals the remarkable steadiness of radio listening levels through the years, even when you consider the radio-centric nature of these non-scientific studies. 

So it’s both fun and enlightening to look back at other devices and platforms that were prominent, and when, in years past. Jacobs Media did that in a recent webinar highlighting the survey’s 15 years and the digital transformation that radio and its listeners have experienced over that time.

The Media Pyramid slides for 2005 —top — and 2019 — bottom — reflect changing consumer tastes. (The early years of the survey focused on a sample of listeners to rock stations, while the survey now covers listeners to 14 formats.)

“Our mission with Techsurvey has always been to help radio broadcasters produce a great radio product for their constituencies,” Jacobs said during the webinar. 

Techsurvey results parse media usage and tech trends. They are compiled from data collected from listeners of participating radio stations in a variety of formats and are designed to elicit information about those listeners’ technology adoption and usage.  

Techsurvey has morphed since its inception from an original focus on the habits of listeners to rock-formatted stations to include those of multiple radio formats, Jacobs said.

The most recent survey in 2019 explored the habits of approximately 64,000 listeners of 560 North American radio stations, according to Jacobs Media. 

Techsurvey 2020, for which data gathering began in January, will accompany specific studies for public radio and Christian music broadcasters that Jacobs Media will present later in the year. 

EARLY DITCHERS

When the survey began in 2005, its findings reflected those days of flip-phones and internet dialup, Jacobs said.

“There were lots of AOL accounts, and text messaging was just for young people. Only 25% of those surveyed were texting on their phones,” Jacobs said. “Fewer than one in four listened to internet radio, and MP3 players were just coming into vogue.”

An important discovery from the first survey was the number of 18- to 34-year-olds who had already ditched their house landlines and were cell-only, he said. 

“It was about 33%, which is significant when you consider that Arbitron at the time was not including cellphone-only in their samples. That was when the Arbitron Advisory Council used this data to pressure Arbitron to use cellphone-only households,” Jacobs said.

The cellphone breakout was evident by 2006, Jacobs said, and by 2007 the survey clearly reflected the influx of streaming on YouTube and the beginnings of social media’s impact. 

“This was about the time MySpace ruled social networking sites. FaceBook was just opening up to becoming more than just a college campus community, but this is when technology really began to explode,” he said.

Techsurvey 2008 arrived just before Apple launched its App Store, Jacobs said. That survey detected a shift in cellphone use, he said. “Along with using them for texting and taking photos, cellphones are being used as alarms to wake up. In fact, a majority of people [in 2008] were using cellphones to wake up. 

“iPhones were popular; Android phones were just coming in,” he continued. “In addition, you can see some trending that shows the rampant growth of iPod type devices along with MP3 players during this time. Really, the whole idea of using the smartphone as a MP3 player hadn’t kicked in yet.” 

PANDORA IN THE PICTURE

Jacobs Media uses a “media usage pyramid” to demonstrate the relative use of various technologies. The 2009 survey revealed growth in the use of streaming audio, social media and text messaging among survey respondents. Nearly four out of 10 people in 2009 said they listened to audio over the internet.

“They were streaming radio station streams, but Pandora is trending up big time. It was when we really started focusing on Pandora and what might be happening with it,” Jacobs said. “It’s also the first year Twitter shows up on the social networking list.”

The smartphone revolution was at “full speed” by 2010, which also found the Blackberry on its way out and Apple’s iPhone building dominance. And “now everyone is downloading apps,” Jacobs said. In fact, eight out of 10 who owned a smartphone were downloading paid and free apps by then, according to the survey.

Social media was exploding by 2011, he said, with Facebook beginning to dominate MySpace, and early signs of LinkedIn and Twitter making their marks. Android smartphones gained in numbers on the iPhones. 

Jacob’s eighth survey, in 2012, was the first to be open to all radio formats and all radio stations, which greatly increased the number of respondents — more than 57,000 total.  

By then, Jacobs said, the survey was an established indicator of what kind of content people were consuming. “But what it was also starting to do was telling us about distribution. We knew cellphones were very important, but how big? How about in-car entertainment systems and such?”

Jacobs said 2012 was also the first year in which cellphone usage (96%) eclipsed the percent of people who listened to AM/FM terrestrial radio (93%) in the media usage category among mainstream AC listeners. 

Also in 2012, Jacobs said, his firm began to discover the “emotional benefits” of listening to the radio.

“By that point you could get music from a lot of different sources. We asked: Why listen to the radio? Well, we found that radio is a mood elevator, about companionship and about escape. It’s critically important to know what moves listeners in this age of tech,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs also discovered about this time the importance of “word of mouth” in the era of social media. “Without questions it’s more important than ever,” he said.

Techsurvey 9 in 2013 was the first to break out data by generations, Jacobs said, with boomers, Gen Y, Gen X and Gen Z the main categories.   

“We also asked those who were listening to less radio why that was the case. Number one was a lifestyle change, such as a change in jobs, moving to a new area or retirement. That stuff is really outside of radio’s control,” he said. “However, the next two top reasons were that they didn’t enjoy the programming any longer, and too many commercials.”

In 2013 Jacobs began asking about the digital dash and things like Bluetooth and iPod connectivity in the car, he said. “It’s becoming more and more desirable, and definitely portends what we see currently in that people really enjoy those features.”

By 2014 and Techsurvey 10, which Jacobs considers a digital tipping point for social media usage, Instagram and Snapchat inch into the picture for social networking choices.

“More and more people are driving a connected car, in fact one in five. Still, half of all consumption of radio still takes place in the car, and 29% at work or home. But podcast sneaks into the survey for the first time,” Jacobs said. “And more listeners are looking favorably upon radio that they can socially interact with. And Facebook is [by then] the monster it is still today.”

In 2015 the survey included more than 220 radio stations and 41,000 respondents, and continued to show radio holding steady in the overall media usage pyramid at 92%.

IN THE HOME

Jacobs notes that for 2016, the survey began to ask respondents about radio ownership specifically in the home. Boomers registered at 93% while Gen Y checked in at only 78%, he said. “And remember, this is a radio-centric sample.”

This 2019 chart shows the percentage of time spent with a listener’s “home” station via various platforms in a given week. Non-traditional digital channels now account for 31%.

The impact of on-demand entertainment options like podcasts, Netflix, Hulu and YouTube TV had become more significant by then, with podcasting and other on-demand options being driven by millennials; 31% of Gen Y respondents said they listen to podcasts weekly.

“Young people were way into TV on demand sooner than anyone else obviously,” he said. “And if a person is into video on demand, they are also likely to be into audio on demand, better known as podcasting.”

Listening in connected cars, like those with Ford’s Sync Connect, became more fragmented by 2016. AM/FM listening was at 55%, while satellite radio, personal music on phones, podcasts, Pandora and audio books accounted for the rest. 

The survey now includes detailed info about podcast listening habits among radio listeners.

The 2017 survey shed more light on why people are still listening to AM/FM radio despite having so many other options. Jacobs said the answer is easy: “Because it’s free. And surprisingly, it’s the younger demos, perhaps because they are the most cash-strapped, which appreciate the fact that radio is free. And more are cutting the cord and moving away from premium pay services.”

Radio listening continued in 2017 to tip from traditional terrestrial on-air listening (74%) toward more digital listening via streams (22%). 

“Most digital listeners are still streaming off a radio station’s website, but more and more are accessing the stations app,” Jacobs said, “which means it’s becoming more and more critical for radio stations to have a Millennial or Gen Z strategy. And smart speakers and the voice command feature on devices have become a big thing by 2017.”

 Jacob Media’s brand pyramid in the 2018 survey showed significant growth by Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, Jacobs said, as on-demand video streaming exploded. Radio was still the top “brand” (92%); but for the first time the survey asked about the most important features in a new connected car, and it differentiated between AM and FM radio.

“FM radio is the more important new car feature in the dash (81%), but only 37% say AM radio is a must-have in [their] next car. Things like Bluetooth connectivity (72%) and smartphone aux connector is (63%) are growing in demand,” Jacobs said. 

The most recent survey, released in 2019, revealed growing privacy concerns among listeners, especially via home speakers and social media platforms such as Facebook. 

“Nearly a quarter of those surveyed said they were seriously considering deleting Facebook due to privacy concerns. And we are seeing a connection to a decline of the number of people willing to sign up for a radio station’s stream. We think privacy is a big reason why fewer people are willing to sign up for the stream and provide us information,” Jacobs said.

In addition, a big conclusion of the latest survey is that satellite radio is making a strong comeback, he said.

SiriusXM “bought Pandora. They also have a great program with Amazon so that now you can listen to any SiriusXM channel on an Amazon Echo device. Now nearly one in four respondents in 2019 subscribed to satellite radio. And the top two options for satellite radio subscribers are the spoken word, sports and news/talk programming.”

Jacobs said Techsurvey this year will delve deeper into smart speakers and voice control, podcasting and CarPlay and Android Auto in the dashboard, as well as “hearables” — smart headphones — such as AirPods.

The post Techsurvey Reflects Consumer Dynamics appeared first on Radio World.

Under the theme “radio and diversity,” UNESCO’s 2020 edition of World Radio Day will focus on radio’s responsibility as “a platform for democratic discourse.” The international organization is encouraging radio stations worldwide to participate in the one-day celebration, which takes place on Feb. 13.

It’s also calling on radio broadcasters to consistently maintain “diversity in the newsroom and on the airwaves” to guarantee variety of content and voices for its varied audiences.

Radio World spoke to Mirta Lourenço chief, Media Development and Society, Communication and Information for UNESCO on the significance of this day and the importance of radio in maintaining plurality and transparency.

Radio World: What is the history of World Radio Day and why was it created?

Mirta Lourenço is chief, Media Development and Society, Communication and Information for UNESCO.

Mirta Lourenço: Following a proposal from Spain, in 2011 UNESCO’s 36th session of the General Conference proclaimed World Radio Day, on the basis of a feasibility study undertaken by UNESCO, further to a proposal from Spain.

A wide consultation process started in June 2011, carried out by UNESCO. It included all stakeholders, including broadcasting associations, public, private, community and international broadcasters, UN agencies, topic-related NGOs, academics and foundations as well as UNESCO Permanent Delegations and National Commissions.

Ninety-one percent were in favor of the project. The project leader, Academia Española de la Radio, received more than 46 letters of support from diverse stakeholders, including the Arab States Broadcasting Union, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, the African Union of Broadcasting, the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, the European Broadcasting Union, the International Association of Broadcasting, the North American Broadcasters Association, the Organización de Telecomunicaciones Ibeoramericanas, BBC, URTI and Vatican Radio.

On Jan. 14, 2013, the United Nations General Assembly formally endorsed UNESCO’s proclamation of World Radio Day. Feb. 13 is the day United Nations Radio was established in 1946.

World Radio Day was proclaimed to raise greater awareness among the public and the media of the importance of radio. Radio is the media reaching the widest audience in the world. It is also recognized as a powerful communication tool and a low cost medium.

Radio is specifically suited to reach all segments of societies, even remote communities and vulnerable people — while offering a platform to intervene in the public debate, irrespective of people’s educational level: Communities with lower levels of literacy, persons with disabilities, women, youth and those facing poverty. Furthermore, radio has a strong and specific role in emergency communication and disaster relief.

RW: What are UNESCO’s goals in organizing such an event?

Lourenço: It is more than an event, or it is several events around the world, all of them celebrating radio. The objective is to encourage decision makers to establish and provide access to information through radio, as well as to enhance networking and international cooperation among broadcasters.

UNESCO leads the celebration and chairs the World Radio Day Committee, which is composed of regional and international broadcasting organizations.

RW: Describe the effort to develop awareness of World Radio Day around the world.

Lourenço: World Radio Day is first and foremost a celebration of the first electronic medium that has, over the decades, remained a powerful medium for connecting people and possessing the potential to reinforce critical governance concerns such as access to information, media diversity and pluralism.

World Radio Day aims for radio coverage in preference to press coverage. Nonetheless, UNESCO’s strategy for World Radio Day contributes to phenomenal press coverage every year, with over 500 articles published around the world. There is not a continent that doesn’t celebrate World Radio Day.

On Feb. 13 each year, UNESCO offers to radio stations, and wider to the civil society, free resources, audio clips, short videos, stories and testimonials in a visually attractive dedicated website. The statistics show that approximately 25% of users are return visitors, meaning that key stakeholders return to the site on numerous occasions.

And every year, when visitors land on the page, they stay. World Radio Day has a good average of page view and people’s sessions last long, so users have a great interest in the content and truly explore the worldradioday.org site. Major global influencers usually make public statements aligned with our messages for World Radio Day.

RW: What actions would you like radio organizations to take in the future? What else should we know?

Lourenço: Defending and fostering free, independent and pluralistic radio is the most important goal, since it underlies democracy and the rule of law. Radio has survived all media upheavals because it has successfully demonstrated its usefulness again and again.

In many countries, radio stations have maintained a respectable space for information and democratic debate, free from political or commercial pressures. There is also, alas, radio that can insulate and reinforce narrow-mindedness, and it is an everyday effort as a broadcaster or as a listener to object to or try to change such realities.

RW: What is the World Radio Day Committee and what is its purpose?

Lourenço: The World Radio Day Committee gathers international and regional broadcasting organizations, and it meets to evaluate each year’s celebrations and to choose the theme for the upcoming year. 

RW: What’s new this year?

Lourenço: This year we are focusing on diversity and radio, which should give radio stations plenty of opportunities and angles to celebrate the day. We suggest considering any or all of these three axes:

• Diversity in the radio landscape: Diversity of voices and opinions in radio relies first on the degree of media concentration and the coexistence of different types of stations with a mix of public, private and community broadcasters. The development of policy environments conducive to transparency and diversity of media ownership is the keystone to a pluralistic, inclusive and democratic radio sector. Technological advances such as digital radio are also participating to diversify the radio sector. Through digital radio radio, the choice of stations available to listeners is dramatically increased with more stations being able to broadcast in the same areas on less frequency space than necessary for FM and AM radio. Digital radio also offer additional information and features, such as the display of program and song played, or the ability to pause and even record live broadcast, further enriching the radio experience. On Feb. 13, radio stations could, for example, interview duty-bearers, including media regulators, and ask how they promote a favorable environment for radio diversity to flourish by means of different measures, such as increasing the licensing of radio operated by a variety of groups, such as indigenous/native/minority people – and/or measuring progress of broadcasting organizations towards diversity.
• Diversity in the newsroom: Editorial teams are generally comprised of staff from majority groups. Through equal opportunity and fair treatment policies, which prevent discrimination based on factors such as gender, origin, sexual orientation, religion, age, social and socio-economic backgrounds and/or political party, radio stations could gain multi-cultural teams that bring different perspectives on issues, opinions and stories, thus enhancing their credibility vis-à-vis listeners. A diverse and representative radio workforce is not only important for countering discrimination and ensuring gender representation; it is crucial for creativity and relevance of content. It thus safeguards editorial independence. For example, on Feb. 13, radio stations can show how they integrate people from diverse groups in their editorial teams, including women, youth, minority from different origins, LGBTQI, people with disability and others.
• Diversity on the airwaves: Through diverse channels of transmission, types of editorial content, programming and topics, radio reaches the widest audience globally and opens up a multitude of spaces for democratic debate on an infinity of subjects. Radio stations can offer a wide array of shows and programs — from reportages and documentaries to talk shows and podcasts, there is something for each of us. Within the program, diversity in the choice of angles, languages, music, invited guests and sources can further portray, engage and reflect the diversity of humanity, thus fostering tolerance, inclusion and solidarity. It’s essential for media pluralism and broadens journalists’ and program makers’ creativity. On Feb. 13, radio stations can show how they fairly and equally represent all men, women and children by creating and broadcasting targeted programs by and for specific sectors of society, while also reflecting the diversity of the population in mainstream programs, for example.

RW: How do you celebrate at the Unesco headquarters in Paris?

Lourenço: This year we are not having an event at UNESCO headquarters, but UNESCO has offices across the world. Check worldradioday.org or unesco.org to see how our offices observe the Day.

RW: Is this an effort aimed at traditional over-the-air formats or is UNESCO also targeting streaming services and podcasts, etc.?

Lourenço: It covers both. News technologies increase diversity in radio. Digital radio, online streaming, satellite radio and the spread of low-costs technologies have broadened the access to cost-effective methods of transmitting and broadcasting programs.

Similarly, podcasts have opened the door to new ways of producing and consuming audio content thus, increasing access to information and the variety of programs available, regardless of spectrum availability. And even as other digital distribution opportunities proliferate, there continues to be an interest in pure audio as a valued form of free speech, information gathering and democratic exercise.

Radio, in this sense, is not a technology. It’s not even a platform: It’s a social institution — and this is what we honor as well. Long before social networking, radio was already a social foundation, which built identities and communities and created conversations and participation in the public sphere.

Radio is a success story actually. It’s the medium that has really taken advantage of new communication technologies. It can be used in marginalized or remote places, where there is a lack of other connectivity and where print media does not arrive.

Today radio is also a podcast, a website, an app, a platform. And at the same time, it still exists as a transistor! So rather than getting left behind, radio is truly adaptable — it’s a format that will keep growing and is accessible.

In many countries, radio is also the number one medium for offering a choice of channels and languages and interests (not just for those who already have access to digital radio or internet and tune into the world but also for those lucky to have community radio, which often broadcasts from very remote areas, or in local languages).

For plurilinguistic countries (some have more than 20 languages), the access to information and audience interaction in various national languages is not possible through TV or social media. This is because providing different language services requires diverse teams and is costly, some languages lack written grammar and connectivity (even electricity) may not be reliable.

Register your event or acitivies event/activity here and check out the WRD 2020 Celebration kit at www.worldradioday.org.

The events and activities shared will be publicized on UNESCO portal.

Our IT team is developing an interactive map that will allow to display not only event description but also podcasts during WRD2020.

The post World Radio Day to Celebrate Radio and Diversity appeared first on Radio World.

In this document, the Commission's proposal to amend its rules for the 5.850-5.925 GHz (5.9 GHz) band. The proposal would permit unlicensed devices to operate in the lower 45-megahertz portion of the band at 5.850-5.895 GHz under part 15 of the Commission's rules. It would also permit Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) operations in the upper 30-megahertz portion of the band at 5.895-5.925 GHz under parts 90 and 95 of the Commission's rules. ITS operations would consist of Cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) devices at 5.905-5.925 GHz, and C-V2X and/or Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) devices at 5.895-5.905 GHz. The document also asks whether alternate spectrum band approaches would better achieve the goal of maximizing the effective and efficient use of the 5.9 GHz band, including whether differently sized sub-bands or greater flexibility to introduce additional vehicular safety communications technologies into the band would be warranted.

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Originally announced last September, the Mackie ProFXv3 Series of audio mixers made their debut at last month’s NAMM Show.

The half-dozen mixers are intended for use both in live sound settings as well as for home studios, content creators and live streaming.

The new series is based around the six-channel ProFX6v3, 10-channel ProFX10v3, 12-channel ProFX12v3, 16-channel ProFX16v3, 22-channel ProFX22v3, and 30-channel ProFX30v3.

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

All the mixers have some features in common, including Mackie’s Onyx mic preamps, GigFX effects engine, 24-bit/192 kHz USB recording and shared design cues. The mixers also come with a variety of software, notably a copy of the Avid Pro Tools|First DAW, as well as the Mackie Musician Collection, a set of 23 Avid plug-ins.

Mackie says that the Onyx mic preamps offer up to 60 dB of gain, while its new GigFX high-resolution effects engine provides 24 effects such as reverbs, delays and more. The mixers feature a built-in USB interface; a dedicated Blend knob that swaps between DAW output and direct latency-free monitoring; single-knob compression; Hi-Z switches and more.

Avid plug-ins provided with the mixers include the 304C compressor and 304E equalizer. In addition, users will also get Waveform OEM DAW software with its DAW Essentials Collection of 16 plug-ins.

The mixers range from $199.99 for the ProFX6v3 up to $1,169.99 for the flagship ProFX30v3.

Info: www.mackie.com

The post Mackie ProFXv3 Mixers Debut appeared first on Radio World.

Sports and pop culture phenomenon The Ringer will be acquired by Spotify as part of an effort to “build the world’s flagship sports audio network,” The Ringer founder Bill Simmons said in a press release Wednesday. 

Spotify already touts itself as “the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service,” and this acquisition will round out the company’s sports and entertainment offerings and present new strategic opportunities, it announced. 

Created in 2016 by ESPN alum Simmons, in four years The Ringer grew from a standalone website to a multimedia company with its own podcast network with more than 30 shows, a video production house and a new publishing imprint. It will be interesting to see how Spotify handles the breadth of these offerings, given its emphasis on audio. 

In the press release, Spotify Chief Content Officer Dawn Ostroff explained that The Ringer will “drive our [Spotify’s] global sports strategy” through its editorial team led by Simmons. Ostroff said, “The Ringer’s proven track record of creating distinctive cultural content as well as discovering and developing top tier talent will make them a formidable asset for Spotify.”

According to Recode, Spotify plans to hire both Simmons and his 90-person team as part of the deal. (Recode is a part of Vox Media, which hosts The Ringer via Chorus, its CMS.) That move would be consistent with other recent buys, such as last year’s Gimlet Media acquisition, Recode’s Peter Kafka notes.

For his part, Simmons cited the benefits of Spotify’s “power of scale and discovery” as well as the opportunity to bring new audiences to The Ringer. 

[From 2017: Spotify Ramps Up Podcast Offerings]

The deal is expected to be closed this quarter for an undisclosed sum, pending regulatory approval and other conditions.

This isn’t Simmons’ first association with Spotify. “The Bill Simmons Podcast” was among the first the streamer added when it expanded from a music only service in 2017. In return, Simmons promoted the service via his own channels.

It remains to be seen how this acquisition and subsequent sports content initiatives may affect radio, and AM in particular, since one of the remaining programming strongholds of the medium band is sports talk.

The post Spotify and The Ringer Want to Create “Flagship Sports Audio Network” appeared first on Radio World.

Find out why John Bisset is excited about the Amprobe ULD-420. Read why Larry Langford is getting tied up in knots. Hear what Fred Jacobs learned when he went back over 15 years of Techsurvey data about how radio listeners use consumer technology. And check in on two separate LPFM operations with very different audiences and formats.

Read it online here.

Prefer to do your reading offline? No problem! Simply click on the Issuu link, go to the left corner and choose the download button to get a PDF version.

REGULATION
A Problem With FX Pretzel Patterns

In this commentary, a station owner (no, that’s not him in the photo) challenges the FCC to tighten up its regulations on exotic directional translators.

TECHNOLOGY
BBC Assesses 5G’s Broadcast Capability

The research and development arm of The Beeb tested live radio broadcasts over a purpose-designed 5G network to assess the capability of the technology to reach people living in rural areas.

 

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Workbench: A New Ultrasonic Leak Detector Pinpoints Leaks
• MicPort Pro 2 Delivers the Smartphone Audio Goods
• Small Station Finds It Needs More Space

The post Inside the Feb. 5 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

NeoGroupe’s NeoScreener is a set of call screening applications that allow screeners and hosts to be in different locations while sharing instant information on calls that are available for broadcast.

With the NeoGroupe smartphone/tablets application, the company says that one of its clients, for example, regularly screens calls in Washington D.C. while the host airs them in London.

The applications also offers full user control, even based on Active Directory if necessary. Thus, specific rights to studios and shows, action tracing, authentication and data encryption are now included.

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

NeoScreener works with Telos VX and NX as well as AEQ Systel. It has a comprehensive winner, giveaway, promo and script companion module. It’s also now now fully GDPR compliant.

For information, contact NeoGroupe in France at +33-9-72-23-62-00 or visit www.neogroupe.com.

The post Neogroupe’s GDPR-Compliant NeoScreener Goes Mobile appeared first on Radio World.

The author writes, “Pretzel patterns are becoming more and more common in metro areas where FX openings are tight.” Getty Images/Jen Pollack Bianco/EyeEm

 

The job of a consulting engineer is to do everything possible to maximize the facilities of a client within the constraints of FCC regulations, the laws of physics and the budget of the applicant.

In the case of a full-power FM that needs a directional antenna system, the FCC demands strict conditions before the License to Cover application is granted. 

These include detailed paperwork from the applicant showing the antenna was designed by a reputable manufacturer using a test range with full-size or modeled antennas that take into account the tower design, other antennas mounted to the tower, cables, conduits and anything else that could cause pattern distortion. 

The commission wants to see sketches, notes and test results from the maker of the antenna. It further requires you to use a licensed surveyor to certify that the antenna was mounted at the correct azimuth as called for by the manufacturer. Lastly the commission requires an affidavit from a qualified engineer that everything was done by the book and the resulting pattern is good based on a proof of performance. 

All of this can be required of the simplest of directional systems for full-power FMs.

CURIOUS PATTERNS

With consultants now being asked to shoe-horn translators into the tightest of places, we are seeing some rather curious antenna patterns in FX applications. Some stretch physics to the absolute limit! 

Again, understand, just because the consultant can specify a complex contour that requires a composite antenna design, it does not mean that the antenna company can make it happen for less than a king’s ransom. 

What is shocking is that for translator directionals, the FCC demands only a checkbox that promises that the antenna meets the required contours as shown in the CP. Talk about faith and trust. 

I will admit that for some “off-the-shelf” directionals and omni antennas that are side-mounted with a predictable pattern, just the antenna sheet and a promise that it was put up pointing the correct direction are probably enough. 

But let’s take the case of the antenna pattern granted on a Chicago translator. It is a real head-scratcher. Fig. 1 shows a pattern that is obviously protecting more than three co-channel translators and full-power FM stations. These pretzel patterns are becoming more and more common in metro areas where FX openings are tight. In this case, the CP application specifies a two-bay “penetrator” style antenna with parasitic elements to get this very complex and non-symmetrical pattern in both the horizontal and vertical planes. 

If this pattern can be done with this type antenna, it would take a lot of range testing and a big box of parasitics installed with great precision and care to pull it off. The price tag for that would be in the thousands. 

TEMPTATION TO CHEAT

I have seen more than a few installations that demand such complex antennas that are simply built with an omni and no attempt to follow the one-of-a-kind design in the app. The temptation to cheat here is just too great, and the results are a mess when there is an interference complaint and the commission relies on these sometimes fantasy patterns to be accurate. 

I cannot blame the consultants, they just show what needs to be done. And often the person signing the License to Cover app is just one of the owners just checking the box, with no idea as to what pattern they really have. The License to Cover app should require that an actual engineer certifies the installation.

There are other cases where the commission is just plain wrong by its own mistakes on issuing a license. I know of a Chicago-area translator with a detailed application on how the system would take care of second-adjacency interference by using a multi-bay antenna to attenuate downward signal. The details were part of a waiver request. But when they put in the License to Cover application they specified a single-bay omni … and guess what? The commission granted the license anyway. Obviously this one slipped through the cracks. 

With AM it’s pretty easy to check on a directional antenna system, just drag out the Potomac and find the monitor points. But trying to do a field proof on a 250 watt translator DA with a meter to check on an installation after the fact will drive you crazy and tell you very little, especially if the antenna is mounted in close proximity to other antennas.  

[Is the FCC Dropping the Ball on Directional Translators?]

The FCC must tighten up regulations to make sure these exotic patterns drawn to get a CP are in fact built to get the License to Cover. 

Since the commission requires detailed proof that a directional was actually built and installed correctly for a commercial FM, why not at least some documentation that shows that a composite directional FX antenna for the requested CP was actually built and tested on a range with proper proof of performance? 

The commission would never accept the “word” of an AM operator that his multi-tower array was good without paperwork, so why allow translators to be put in with these very difficult patterns on just a wink and a promise that there is no cheating? 

While some old and outdated rules are being tossed out, here is one that needs to be revised for more, not less, paperwork. 

 Larry Langford is the owner of WGTO(AM) in Cassopolis, Mich. and W246DV, South Bend, Ind. His opinions on AM radio and other issues are a recurring feature in Radio World. 

Comment on this or any story to radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field. 

The post A Problem With FX Pretzel Patterns appeared first on Radio World.

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Denied the Petition for Reconsideration