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This Public Notice announces that cable operators may adjust their rates for inflation.

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With the release on Thursday of a public notice, the FCC’s Media Bureau has put into effect its rules regarding the continued analog service heard on 87.7 MHz for licensed low-power television stations using VHF Channel 6 across the U.S.

This signals that the Office of Management and Budget has given a green light to the rules approved by the FCC in its FM6 Report and Order.

An announcement of the OMB’s approval appeals in the December 28 Federal Register. As such, this is the effective date of the new rules.

The Media Bureau also is establishing Jan. 29, 2024, as the deadline for all FM6 LPTV stations to notify the Bureau of their intent to continue to provide FM radio service and confirm their FM6 operational parameters.

All of the other rules associated with the FM6 Order took effect on Sept. 28.

Effective immediately, the Bureau will not process STA extension requests filed by any FM6
LPTV stations, with the exception of the STA extension request that is required by the FM6 Report and Order to be filed by WVOA-LD6, in Westvale, N.Y. The Bureau also will promptly dismiss any STA requests for new FM6 operations.

It’s one of several digital multicast television networks owned and distributed by Weigel Broadcasting, the Norm Shapiro-led entity known for its ownership of The CW Network affiliate serving Chicago and the CBS affiliate in Milwaukee.

Now, one of its siblings to MeTV is being added to DirecTV.

Weigel’s classic drama and action-adventure channel Heroes & Icons is now available nationwide to DirecTV satellite customers, complementing its ongoing availability to the direct broadcast satellite’s streaming and U-verse homes.

For those with DirecTV, H&I will be available via Channel 385, in HD.

It has been on U-Verse since December 2015 and a streaming option for DirecTV users since October 2021.

“We appreciate the growing partnership we have with DirecTV that allows for our national
networks, MeTV and H&I, which are established viewer favorites, to be carried on their satellite and streaming platforms for their customers’ enjoyment,” said Neal Sabin, Vice-Chairman of Weigel Broadcasting Co.

Linda Burakoff, DirecTV’s SVP of Content and Programming, added, “This agreement provides Weigel a strong opportunity to grow its national network viewership and sponsors, while ensuring our customers continue to possess consistent, reliable access to Weigel’s local stations. We continue to work creatively with programmers like Weigel with broadcast properties to fulfill our mutual business interests in ways that consumers gain greater choice, value, and reliability they deserve.”

Meanwhile, TEGNA stations remain absent from DirecTV’s DBS, streaming, and U-verse homes, thanks to a retransmission consent impasse that began November 30.

This came after a bitter fight against DirecTV commenced in October 2022 with Mission Broadcasting, an independently owned company that sees its stations (including WPIX-TV in New York) operated by Nexstar Media Group.

 

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a 2022 photo at the National Press Club (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The long-delayed FCC review of broadcast ownership rules for 2018 finally is in the books. The commission is keeping in place its local ownership limits and caps for radio broadcasters. It also has turned aside broadcaster arguments seeking more deregulation and a different approach to conducting these quadrennial reviews.

The FCC voted 3–2 along party lines to complete the review on the Friday before Christmas, complying with a court-ordered deadline. The commission wrote, “The record of this proceeding demonstrates that while the media industry has experienced both unforeseen challenges and substantial changes since the last quadrennial review, broadcasters retain a uniquely important role serving the American public in their local communities.”

Three ownership rules are subject to review every four years under a mandate from Congress.

They are the local radio ownership rule, which limits common ownership of multiple stations in a market; the local television ownership rule; and the dual television network rule.

In a statement, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote: “With respect to radio, (the completed review) clarifies our approach to subcaps and the contour-overlap methodology used to assess stations.”

In each of the largest radio markets, a licensee can own up to eight commercial radio stations, but a subcap limits a licensee to owning no more than five on each band (FM/AM) in the market. The cap shrinks as market size decreases.

The commission now has retained this rule. “After considering the conflicting arguments in the record, and the split that exists even within the radio industry, we agree with those commenters asserting that loosening the rule would harm competition to the detriment of listeners.”

It adopted only a minor modification, making permanent an interim contour-overlap methodology that has been used for the past 20 years to determine ownership limits in areas outside Nielsen Audio Metro markets and in Puerto Rico.

(For the TV side of its 2018 review, the FCC has retained the Dual Network Rule, which effectively prohibits a merger between the Big Four broadcast networks. It kept the Local Television Ownership Rule “with modest adjustments” to reflect changes in the television marketplace. It updated the methodology for determining station ranking in a market, and expanded the prohibition on use of affiliation to circumvent the restriction on acquiring a second top-four ranked station in a market.)

The 2018 process had been delayed by, or took place against the backdrop of, numerous factors including litigation over earlier rulings, a Supreme Court case, the pandemic, a second comment period and the lack of a majority on the commission. When the process still hadn’t been finished by early 2023, the NAB accused the FCC of a “perpetual slow-roll.” In September, responding to a plea from the NAB, a federal appeals court gave the FCC 90 days to complete the review.

The review for 2022 is currently underway. The FCC took public comments for its 2022 process last winter. The NAB described that as a waste of time under the circumstances.

A Radio World email to a representative of the National Association of Broadcasters seeking comment about the 2018 outcome was not immediately returned.

[Read the text of the FCC’s order. Commissioner statements are at the end.]

Status quo extended

The NAB had asked the FCC either to repeal the radio rule entirely, or abolish AM radio ownership caps while raising FM limits in big markets and eliminating them in smaller ones.

iHeartMedia had proposed eliminating ownership limits on AM stations while retaining the restrictions on FMs. Some broadcasters, including Townsquare Media and Midwest Communications, sought further relaxation to allow broadcasters to “create greater scale” to compete with digital media companies.

But deregulatory proposals were not convincing to the new Democratic majority on the commission. It decided the radio limits remain necessary to promote the commission’s public interest goals of competition, localism and viewpoint diversity.

“Ultimately, we find that allowing one entity to own more radio stations in a market than currently permitted would harm competition without achieving the benefit sought by some of enabling station owners to compete more effectively with social media companies and national advertising platforms like Google and Facebook,” the FCC stated, calling the rule a backstop against further “excessive” consolidation.

“[W]e continue to find that there is ample leeway under the current rule for additional consolidation within limits. What the current rule does constrain, however, is the further aggregation of market share by an already dominant firm in a local market.”

The FCC’s “market definition” remains unchanged after the 2018 review.

“We continue to find that the relevant market to consider for purposes of the Local Radio Ownership Rule is the radio listening market. It would not be appropriate to include satellite or non-broadcast audio sources, such as internet streaming services, in that market at this time.”

Broadcasters have been arguing for years that this policy is badly outdated and detrimental to both broadcasters and their listeners. But the FCC stated: “[A]lthough the broader marketplace for the delivery of audio programming includes satellite and online audio sources, along with traditional broadcast radio, there are significant differences in the availability, reach, consumer engagement and cost of these services, such that they deliver different value propositions to consumers. Significantly, of the various options available in the broader audio marketplace, generally speaking, only terrestrial broadcast radio both is available without a paid subscription and does not require access to internet service.”

Ultimately, the FCC wrote, “we agree with iHeart that ‘competitive pressures across platforms within the audio ecosystem are not determinative of what is the relevant market’ for purposes of our Local Radio Ownership Rule. We reject NAB’s suggestion that the relevant competition is for ‘the public’s attention and time.’”

The FCC also declined to change the framework it uses to review broadcast ownership rules “to determine if they remain necessary in service of our three traditional policy goals: competition, localism and viewpoint diversity.” It rejected arguments that it should reinterpret the statute as requiring it to base reviews only on competitive factors.

It also declined NAB’s suggestion that it should reinterpret the relevant section of the Telecom Act as giving a presumption in favor of deregulation. This would have represented a fundamental change. NAB had argued for an assumption that the FCC be limited to repealing or relaxing existing rules.

“We disagree with the assertion that section 202(h) only allows for the repeal or relaxation of a rule,” the FCC wrote. “Rather, as we have concluded in prior quadrennial reviews and the courts have upheld, we find that the commission may make [the rules] more or less stringent after reviewing and considering the state of competition in the media marketplace.”

In opposition

The dissenting votes came from the FCC’s Republicans.

Commissioner Brendan Carr wrote that “despite a record bursting with evidence of a vibrant media marketplace, the commission continues to advance the fiction that broadcast radio and broadcast television stations exist in markets unto themselves.”

He said the FCC’s “backwards-looking policies” have caused harm.

“During a visit to Powell, Wyo., a town of about 6,000 people that sits in the northwest corner of the Cowboy State, I stopped by a local radio station, only to find its doors locked,” Carr wrote.

“After we were finally able to rouse someone to let us inside, I got a good look at the operations — effectively a Dell laptop playing music pumped in from some big city somewhere else. A couple of miles away in Cody, there was a local broadcast company that was investing in their community and the types of local news and entertainment programming that are attuned to the needs of their listeners.”

He said the company wanted to invest in the Powell station and originate live and local programming for an underserved community but was blocked by the FCC’s caps.

His fellow Republican Nathan Simington supports eliminating or loosening the Local Radio Ownership Rule. He wrote that “the factual record regarding the competitive environment in the audio marketplace clearly supports that conclusion.”

He continued: “The commission here, in the name of public interest, viewpoint diversity and competition, valiantly relies on the national industry incumbent — whose commercial dominance in the radio marketplace would be hurt by elimination of the rule — to make its arguments for it,” apparently a reference to iHeartMedia’s opposition to eliminating FM caps.

The post The FCC Keeps Radio Market Caps in Place appeared first on Radio World.

“Farewell, but Not Goodbye.”

That’s the start of a social media post on Instagram made on Wednesday from the host of a wake-up radio program targeting Black consumers that is concluding its run as a Reach Media-syndicated offering after 27 years of broadcasts.

For Urban One, it means the conclusion of “the remarkable journey” of the Russ Parr Morning Show.

Today, the show’s team members are “overwhelmed with gratitude and anticipation.”

On social media, the show shared:

These years have been filled with mornings of laughter, engaging conversations, and moments that will forever be etched in our memories. We extend our deepest thanks to Cathy Hughes, Alfred Liggins, and the entire team at Urban One for the extraordinary opportunity to be a part of your airwaves. This journey has been nothing less than phenomenal.

What’s next for Parr?

“I’m thrilled to announce that I will continue to focus on writing and directing films, another passion of mine,” he said, sharing his IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1005607/.

Parr also hinted to a new show distributed via YouTube.

And, coming soon is a new venture — the “YOU PROBABLY DON’T WANT TO HEAR THIS” Podcast with Darnell and Russ Parr. “This podcast will be a lively, engaging, interactive, and often provocative exploration of life’s dos and don’ts,” he shares. “Darnell and I will delve into various topics, from parenting and marital challenges to the intricacies of social media and face-to-face interactions. We won’t shy away from complex issues from everyday people, discussing negative celebrity relationships and toxic dynamics while celebrating love’s beauty.”

 

Audio’s post-pandemic renaissance held steady in 2023, according to Edison Research’s final weekly insight for the year. A broad view of the average US listener showed that American audiences aged 13 and up still spend more than four hours with audio each day.

When Edison first compiled its Share of Ear study in 2014, the average daily listening time was four hours and 17 minutes across all audio sources. Over the years, there was a noticeable dip in listening duration, reaching a low of three hours and 44 minutes in 2020. However, this trend reversed in 2021. The latest data from Q3 2023 shows that U.S. listeners currently spend an average of four hours and 11 minutes per day on audio consumption, mirroring the levels from nearly a decade ago.

This consistency highlights the resilience of audio in maintaining its relevance in people’s lives. Despite the plethora of video options and evolving consumer behaviors, US listeners continue to allocate over a quarter of their waking hours to audio. This presents a compelling case for advertisers, demonstrating audio’s vast reach, frequency, and potential impact headed into the new year.

— Reporting by Cameron Coats

To close 2023, Borrell Associates on Thursday offered a “Chart of the Week” replete with the wishes of local advertisers for media partners.

No. 1 on the list? More affordable products.

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It is a 6,000-watt FM serving Troy, Ala., offering locals “Country Classics and Rock-n-Roll Super Hits you love to sing along to!”

Soon, this “Supermix” of music will be directed by a new owner, pending FCC approval.

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Five years ago, the sale of a 450-watt Class A FM serving Pittsburg, Tex., a small town due north of Longview, was consummated. Now, the company that engineered that purchase is selling it for less than the price it paid for the facility.

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Rate-regulated cable operators that use FCC Forms to justify their cable rates have an important update in hand from the FCC’s Media Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics.

Cable operators adjusting the non-external cost portion of their rates for inflation
should follow the instructions provided with the applicable FCC Form. All inflation adjustment figures are based on changes in the Gross National Product Price Index (GNP-PI) published by the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The chain-type price indexes were obtained from the BEA Table 1.7.4 (Price Indexes for Gross Domestic Product, Gross National Product and Net National Product) Line 4 (Gross National Product) on December 21, 2023.

Operators filing FCC Form 1240 may make an adjustment based on quarterly figures. The third quarter 2023 inflation factor for operators using FCC Form 1240 is 3.33%. The adjustment factor of 3.33% is a measure of the annualized change in prices occurring over the period from July 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023. The inflation adjustment factor is calculated by dividing the GNP-PI for the third quarter of 2023 (122.699) by the GNP-PI for the second quarter of 2023 (121.697). The result of this calculation is converted from a quarterly change measurement factor to an annual change measurement factor by raising it to the fourth power. The FCC then converts the calculation to an inflation adjustment factor by subtracting one.

Operators calculating the Inflation Factor for a True-Up Period that includes some portion of the third quarter of 2023 should enter the inflation factor on the appropriate lines of Worksheet 1 of FCC Form 1240 as “0.0333.” Operators using this factor for calculating the Projected Period Inflation Segment of FCC Form 1240 should enter this number on Line C3 (January 1996 version), or Line C5 (July 1996 version) as “1.0333”.

Each quarter the Commission releases a quarterly inflation factor for use with FCC Form 1240.

The following table lists these factors beginning in 2018:

 

 

The Commission releases a new quarterly inflation factor for operators using FCC Form 1240 four times each year. The inflation factor for a given quarter is usually released between three and four months after the end of the quarter, depending on the schedule of the Department of Commerce. The release of a new factor is posted on the Commission’s Internet site at: https://www.fcc.gov/general/inflation-updatesforms-1210-and-1240.

According to a SEC filing, the COO of Local Media for Townsquare Media — the “local first” digital media, digital marketing solutions and radio company focused outside the top 50 markets in the U.S. — on December 26 engaged in a stock sale bringing to him a tidy sum.

That’s based on the purchase and sale prices outlined in the filing.

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In March 2023, RBR+TVBR first shared details about the proposed sale of a Class C2 FM serving the Florida “Big Bend” city of Port St. Joe to a religious broadcast ministry.

It is now known that this transaction will not be consummated. Why? The station’s license was cancelled, so it cannot be bought or sold.

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Radio World Buyer’s Guide articles are intended to help readers understand why their colleagues chose particular products to solve various technical situations. This month’s articles focus on antennas, RF support and power protection.

Martyn Horspool

Martyn Horspool, TelevisaUnivision’s director of RF transmission for the western region, was tasked with upgrading FM station KQMR’s auxiliary site to its main transmission facility.

The station’s currently licensed main transmission facility does not have commercial power. “Converting our old auxiliary site to be the main site was a move to environmental and fiscal sustainability by using commercial power versus diesel generator as the prime source of power,” Horspool told ERI.

TelevisaUnivision selected an ERI Model MP-5E, five-bay Rototiller FM antenna, and it was installed at the end of October along with a new microwave dish. 

KQMR is a full-service Class C FM. The location has an elevation of 7,500 feet above sea level, and the authorized height above average terrain for the new FM antenna is nearly 7,700 feet and an authorized ERP of 33 kW.

The end-fed MP Series medium-power Rototiller FM antennas are rated to handle up to 18 kW input power. The MP-5E model used for this application has a numeric 2.715, so the input power to the antenna to achieve the licensed ERP is only 12.15 kW. The antenna included optional radomes for protection from snow and ice and anti-rotation brackets to prevent the leg-mounted array from twisting.

Horspool told ERI in November that the antenna was working perfectly as expected. “We are currently operating with it as we prepare for the next step, which is to complete modifications to our existing GatesAir FAX FM transmitter and move it up to the new site.”

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

The post KQMR Installs Five-Bay ERI Rototiller appeared first on Radio World.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection requirements associated with the Commission's rules in a Report and Order which adopts rules to clarify for all stakeholders the status of LPTV FM6 service and codify that these services may be provided by a group of 14 existing FM6 stations, and only by those stations. This document is consistent with the Commission's Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.

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