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The Sinclair Broadcast Group subsidiary dedicated to the deployment of advanced broadcast capabilities is readying a three-part webinar series that tackles the intricacies of Advanced Emergency Information powered by the NextGen Broadcast standard — ATSC 3.0.

The webinar series will be held virtually, on consecutive Tuesdays in March starting next week (March 15). The “deep dive” begins at 1pm Eastern on March 15, March 22 and March 29.

The sessions are designed to “warn and inform consumers” of urgent events from weather to police actions to natural disasters and finding lost neighbors.

“As the ability for broadcasters to create interactive services draws closer, Advanced Emergency Information (AEI) services are among the most compelling public service a broadcaster can offer,” ONE Media 3.0 notes. “AEI also represents the best unique feature set broadcasters can field as they vie for users against much larger media platforms that have had interactive capabilities for many years. This series will examine opportunities AEI services can offer broadcasters to improve service to their communities and business health.”

As NextGen Broadcasters offer interactive services, AEI services can offer features not available from large digital platforms.

That’s the focus of the first webinar, on March 15.

Speakers:
Josh Gordon, TV Industry Strategist, Josh Gordon Group, (Moderator)
So Vang, VP of Emerging Technology at ONE Media 3.0
Rob Folliard,  VP, Government Relations & Distribution, Gray Television
Ed Czarnecki, Ph.D., Chairman, NextGen Video Information Systems Alliance (NVISA)
Lynn Claudy, SVP Technology at the National Association of Broadcaster

The subject of the March 22 webinar: How AEI services can strengthen relationships with local emergency managers and public safety professionals.

Lastly, the March 29 webinar’s topic is: AEI services will enable TV newsrooms to better serve communities during threats.

 

Register for the first or all webinars by clicking here.

It’s a 6kw Class A serving a small Alaskan city accessible to Anchorage only by a 75-minute flight.

Pending FCC approval, it will be soon owned by Strait Media. 

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Angry Audio’s StudioHub Universal Interface — aka “World Panel” — is for broadcasters who need to put audio from personal devices on the air.

“This 1 RU stereo device provides convenient interfaces for multiple types of I/O, enabling quick connection of nearly any kind of audio gear to your mixing console,” it said in its announcement.

Analog inputs on the front include balanced +4 dBu on two XLR/TRS combo connectors, unbalanced –10 dBV on two RCA (phono) jacks, and one 3.5 mm stereo jack. Analog outputs are stereo +4 dBu balanced on two XLR connectors, –10 dBV on two RCA jacks and a 3.5 mm stereo jack.

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

“In addition to the stereo outputs, there are two analog balanced mono outputs on XLR connectors. These are summed L+R and are intended to feed reporter ‘press box’ recording devices. These outputs are switchable between line and mic level with a ground-lift function. All analog signals are electronically buffered with high-performance active audio circuitry.”

For digital audio, AES/EBU inputs and outputs are provided on XLR connectors as well as S/PDIF inputs and outputs on RCA/phono coax connectors. “All digital signals are electronically buffered and transformer coupled.”

The front also features two pass-throughs: a USB and an RJ45 port. These fit into standard “D-type” cutouts and are easily changeable to different connector types.

The rear panel uses the StudioHub+ wiring standard for analog and digital audio connections to and from the user’s console. Power comes via an included external power transformer. The Universal Interface is enclosed in a powder-coated steel chassis, with no exposed circuit boards.

Retail price is $595.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post StudioHub Introduces ‘World Panel’ appeared first on Radio World.

The owner of the KLOVE and Air1 Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) noncommercial networks wanted a big FM between San Antonio and Victoria, Tex.

The company that owns this FM said OK — so long as it could get an asset in a Top 30 market it’s been leasing in return.

Educational Media Foundation agreed. As such, Alpha Media is gaining another FM signal in its home market.

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Using a “three-pronged valuation approach,” MoffettNathanson sliced the target price of The Walt Disney Co.’s share price by ten percent.

On a tough day for Wall Street, the decision couldn’t have come at a worse time for DIS, which fell by 5.1% in average trading on Monday.

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The owner of the TV One and Cleo cable TV networks, and the Radio One and Reach Media audio content creation and distribution arms, now has the freedom to engage in some significant stock buybacks — should it elect to do so over the next two years.

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The RFE/RL Moscow Bureau in January, Prior to the Shutdown

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said it has suspended its operations in Russia.

It said it took this step after local tax authorities initiated bankruptcy proceedings against RFE/RL’s Russian entity last week and police intensified pressure on its journalists.

“These Kremlin attacks on RFE/RL’s ability to operate in Russia are the culmination of a years-long pressure campaign against RFE/RL, which has maintained a physical presence in Russia since 1991 when it established its Moscow bureau at the invitation of then-President Boris Yeltsin,” the organization wrote in a press release this weekend.

“Also on March 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that could subject any journalist who deviates from the Kremlin’s talking points on the Ukraine war to a 15-year prison sentence. Because RFE/RL journalists continue to tell the truth about Russia’s catastrophic invasion of its neighbor, the company plans to report about these developments from outside of Russia.”

CNN International, ABC News, Bloomberg News, and the BBC have also said they will no longer originate reports from within Russia due to concerns over the new law, according to a report from The New York Times. Deutsche Welle, the German international broadcaster, closed its Russian news bureau in early February after Russia revoked its reporters’ credentials.

RFE/RL President & CEO Jamie Fly said in the announcement, “Following years of threats, intimidation and harassment of our journalists, the Kremlin, desperate to prevent Russian citizens from knowing the truth about its illegal war in Ukraine, is now branding honest journalists as traitors to the Russian state. We will continue to expand our reporting for Russian audiences and will use every platform possible to reach them at a time when they need our journalism more than ever.”

It said that in the past week, nine of RFE/RL’s Russian language websites were blocked after RFE/RL refused to comply with the government’s demands to delete information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It said Russia also has blocked a number of Russian-language websites from abroad, including Latvia-based Meduza, BBC, Deutsche Welle and Voice of America, not to mention Twitter and Facebook.

The post RFE/RL Suspends Physical Operations in Russia appeared first on Radio World.

Ralph Oakley will be making perhaps one final appearance in his role as head of a broadcast television company now part of the Gray Television family.

The now-retired President/CEO of Quincy Media, Inc., ranked in 2021 as one of Broadcast Television’s Best Leaders by RBR+TVBR readers, will be joined by Byron Allen; the now-retired EVP of Media Relations at the NAB; and two radio industry executives as a Leadership Award honoree at the 2022 Broadcasters Foundation of America breakfast.

The event, which is traditionally held during the NAB Show in Las Vegas, makes it return after a three-year absence on Wednesday, April 27 — bright and early at 7am Pacific.

Among the other honorees — now-retired NAB EVP/Media Relations Dennis Wharton; Katz Radio Group‘s President, Christine Travaglini; and Pierre Bouvard, the Chief Insights Officer at Cumulus Media and former longtime Arbitron EVP.

The five honorees include those previously announced in 2021, prior to the cancellation of the 2021 NAB Show.

The Broadcasters Foundation is the only charity devoted exclusively to providing financial aid to broadcasters in acute need from critical illness, accident, or serious misfortune, and the breakfast held during the NAB Show is complimentary to all in broadcasting.

During the Breakfast, the Broadcasters Foundation will also present the Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award. It is bestowed on an individual whose work in broadcasting exemplifies innovation, community service, advocacy, and entrepreneurship.

Who’s the recipient? Gordon Smith, the now-former NAB head and ex-U.S. Senator from Oregon, who is now a special advisor to the association.

While the Breakfast is complimentary to all in broadcasting, pre-registration is required.

To register or to reserve a page in the Program Guide, broadcasters can visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org/leadershipbreakfast.

Sponsors for the 2022 event include AccuRadio, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), National Association of Media Brokers (NAMB), Nielsen, Premiere Networks, Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), USTrust and vCreative.

The mission of the Broadcasters Foundation of America is to improve the quality of life and maintain the personal dignity of men and women in the radio and television broadcast profession who find themselves in acute need. The Foundation reaches out across the country to identify and provide an anonymous safety net in cases of critical illness, advanced age, death of a spouse, accident, and other serious misfortune. The Broadcasters Foundation of America is a 501(c)3 Public Charity and has been rated 100 from Charity Navigator for solid financial health and received full credit for its program to expense ratio.

As RBR+TVBR first reported in December 2021, Craig Karmazin-led Good Karma Brands agreed to pay $15 million to The Walt Disney Company for WEPN-AM 1050 in New York, KSPN-AM 710 in Los Angeles and two-year LMA partner WMVP-AM 1000 in Chicago. Additionally, it is acquiring Disney’s LMA agreement with Emmis Communications that has allowed WEPN to simulcast on 98.7 MHz in New York.

Now, GKB has revealed who will lead the New York and L.A. stations under new ownership.

Sam Pines, Senior Vice President of GKB, will be ESPN Los Angeles’ Market Manager.

Former ESPN Audio Senior Director of Sales Vinny DiMarco has joined GKB and will serve as ESPN New York Market Manager.

“I couldn’t be more excited to have both Sam and Vinny in their respective roles,” said Craig Karmazin (pictured, top left), the founder and CEO of Milwaukee-based Good Karma Brands. “Sam has distinguished himself as a leader both inside and outside the company, and will bring creativity and take a relationship-focused and marketing savvy approach to ESPN Los Angeles. Vinny’s background at ESPN New York and his relationships within New York City and throughout both Good Karma and ESPN make him a well-liked and respected leader who will keep teammates, advertising partners and our fans at the forefront of all that we do and achieve.”

Pines joined Good Karma Brands in 2000. Since 2006, he has led ESPN Cleveland as a Market Manager and Sales Manager.

“I’m excited to be part of the team at ESPN 710,” Pines said. “It’s rare that an opportunity comes along where we can invest our resources in a place that has such a well-established foundation of great local sports talk, significant play by play rights, including the 18-time champion Lakers, the Super Bowl Champion Rams, LAFC and the Angels, and the power and reach of ESPN’s digital assets. I’m looking forward to bringing a marketing-first approach to working with advertisers to such a great city and sports community.”

At ESPN, DiMarco managed multi-market, multi-platform sales across ESPN radio affiliates, and oversaw emerging categories, including sports betting and crypto-currency. He started his ESPN career at ESPN New York as GSM.

“After working closely with GKB for so many years, inside Disney/ESPN, I’m thrilled to join the team and return to my roots in the local NY market,” DiMarco said. “98.7 ESPN and 1050 ESPN’s collection of assets is second to none. Our on-air talent is among the best in the business, and they resonate with every NY sports fan. Add to that our play-by-play partnerships with the Jets, Knicks, Rangers and Islanders and you have some of the most compelling content in all of Sports. For our advertising partners, our multi-channel offerings, including ESPN Digital media, provide impactful marketing opportunities with best-in-class service and execution. I’m very excited for the future of ESPN New York and our partners.”

Dear Editor:

I am “shocked, shocked” to hear that BBC is using shortwave to get news and information into Ukraine and Russia. After abandoning shortwave as outdated and not necessary, one only has to look at the current conflict in Eastern Europe to see the value of shortwave.

We’ve all embraced the modern technologies as they come on line — but they’re fragile. Between the damage to the public internet infrastructure in the Ukraine, to Russia pulling the “plug” on citizens’ ability to access news networks outside of Russia, to the BBC trying to get people to use VPN (seriously?), it’s the antiquated, outdated shortwave that gets the message through.

[Check Out More Letters at Radio World’s Reader’s Forum Section]

There is a lesson to be learned here: Old tech is reliable, cost effective and gets the message through when nothing else does. The same can be said of AM here in the USA.

All of those “high tech” solutions, whether they are cellphones or the public internet, are prone to failure when you really need them the most. Let’s not abandon the tried and true “outdated” modes.

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

The post BBC Shortwave to Ukraine? Yes, of Course. appeared first on Radio World.

Broadcasters are pushing back hard on the Federal Communications Commission’s potential restoration of the mandate that broadcasters file data on the diversity of their workforces and that the data be available to the public, including by blaming Big Tech for some of broadcasting’s diversity recruiting problems.

The annual collection of Form 395-B data on workforce composition (race and gender) has been in limbo for two decades. The filing of the form was suspended in 2001 following an appeals court decision vacating part of the FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements. Even though the FCC in 2004 revised the regulations on filing the form, broadcasters still did not have to file it due to unresolved issues about data confidentiality, issues the FCC is trying to resolve under Chair Jessica Rosenworcel.

In a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) issued last July, the FCC said it wanted to “refresh” the record on Form 395-B data collection and related ”legal, logistical and technical issues” of potentially lifting the suspension.

But according to an ex parte filing at the FCC, executives from the National Association of Broadcasters, accompanied by 40 broadcasters — general managers, owners and others — from large and small companies and markets met with staffers for all the commissioners to push back on reinstating the form.

[Related: “FCC Could Recommence Race and Gender Reporting for Broadcaster”]

The broadcasters said they are all for improving diversity, but said restoring the form “would do nothing to help achieve this aim, and in fact, could distract the FCC and industry from more effective actions.”

They suggested one of those actions would be for the FCC to “boost interest” in TV and radio jobs given that broadcasters already were doing “everything in their power to attract and retain diverse talent” against a Big Tech industry draining the workforce.

“Several broadcasters described the hurdles they face in trying to attract a diverse pool of qualified job candidates, or for that matter, any pool of qualified applicants,” the broadcasters told the FCC. “In their recent experience, many job applicants — regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender — are more interested in working for one of the Big Tech companies or some other outlet they perceive as more relevant or cutting-edge, and that typically can afford to pay higher salaries.”

The NAB has also argued to the FCC that the form would pressure broadcasters to give preferential treatment to candidates of a particular gender or race.

Taking quite a different view of the issue was the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC), which had its own meeting last week with FCC officials.

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MMTC took issue with some of the broadcaster pushback, saying that while “career-building opportunities that extol the benefits of broadcast employment are useful, they are not a substitute for enforcement of the EEO Rule.”

While the broadcasters told the FCC that they “already do everything in their power to attract and retain diverse talent,” the MMTC didn’t see it that way. “[N]o amount of career enthusiasm can overcome the ill-will of an employer who chooses not to recruit or equally employ people of color or women,” the group said.

As to the suggestion the form would force broadcasters into unfair hiring practices, the MMTC said: “The reporting of EEO data — whether anonymously or publicly — does not ’pressure‘ licensees to hire preferentially on the basis of race or gender.”

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

The post Broadcasters Blame Big Tech for Diversity Deficits appeared first on Radio World.

Salem Media Group will hold its annual stockholders meeting at its principal executive offices, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, on the first Wednesday in May.

The announcement comes on a day when the company’s shares were dipping from a three-year high on Wall Street.

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Its brand has been battered and bruised from a fictional HBO Max series that saw the death of “Mr. Big.” Layoffs came, and sales plummeted.

It hasn’t been great of late for Peloton. Now, a spot cable effort is being used to revive the home cycling athletic brand.

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He’s been associated with a Hearst Communications heritage Rock n’ Roll radio station serving “Charm City” for eight years and has a resume that includes roles at Saga Communications and a top-level role at former WMXJ/Miami and WQSR/Baltimore owner Sconnix Broadcasting. 

Now, this veteran radio industry figure who once served as OM of WIP/Philadelphia and Station Manager of WBZ-AM in Boston has decided to say “Good Morning Baltimore” to his staff one final time come March 31.

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Ferrofish recently introduced its updated A32pro and A32pro Dante multiformat converters and routers. The two new converters feature a newly designed black finish, updated front panel with remote control options and GPIO options for redundancy and DSP expansion.

The A32pro Series is intended for signal conversation and distribution for recording studios, live audio playback systems and broadcast audio facilities, and can also operate as a digital audio format converter and signal router. Audio signals can be freely converted between all analog and digital formats while being simultaneously routed to multiple destinations in blocks of eight channels, allowing for use in a range of professional audio applications. Multiple Ferrofish units can be connected in series to provide large numbers of audio channels in a minimal amount of rack-space thanks to redundant power supplies.

Ferrofish AA32pro Dante Multiformat Converter

Featuring the latest generation of ESS Tech AD/DA converters, the A32pro and A32pro Dante offer multiple connectivity options in a single 1U frame. Both products feature 32 analog inputs and 32 analog outputs on fully balanced 25-pin D-sub connectors. On the digital side, both devices have support for up to 64 channels of MADI I/O via dual SFP slots, which can accommodate either optical or coaxial MADI SFPs and can run in tandem for added redundancy. Up to 32 channels of ADAT optical I/O is provided in each direction with full support to double sample rates of 96 kHz.

A dual-slot bay is provided for future DSP expansion, providing additional processing powered for both unit’s on-board SHARC DSP processor. They also offer a selection of remote-control option,s including Ferrofish’s free REMOTEFISH app. REMOTEFISH can control one or more Ferrofish devices, including all inputs, outputs, monitoring, routing and settings. The A32pro Dante includes 64×64 Dante I/O channels on dual Ethernet ports with redundant functionality.

Other features include a Stereo TRS Main Out with dedicated DAC monitoring path, 32×32 ADAT I/O channels on TOSlink jacks with 96 kHz support, 64×64 MADI I/O channels on LC Multimode SFP module, user exchangeable (with Optical Singlemode and Coax SFP module options available). The units feature word clock I/O on BNC connectors with proprietary jitter reduction circuit and MIDI I/O on 3.5-mm TRS connectors. The GPIO port is included for remote presets for switching and alert monitoring on dSub15. Also included is a dual stereo headphone quarter-inch TRS outputs with HQ-amp modules and a dedicated DAC.

Beyond a four-screen multitouch user interface, the converters feature an illuminated touch-sensitive high-res encoder.

The post New Ferrofish Multiformat Converters and Routers Make Debut appeared first on Radio World.

A well-known Netherlands-based provider of broadcast software products to radio and television companies has agreed to suspend all of its operations in Russia.

The decision was sparked by the ongoing war in Ukraine, which saw the Russian military destroy the main broadcast communications tower in Kyiv, the nation’s capital.

Raoul Wedel, CEO of Wedel Software, confirmed via LinkedIn on Friday that his company will be putting a halt to all of its Russian operations. “Today’s news out of Tsjernihiv and Borodyanka is heartbreaking and are all war crimes,” Wedel said of Russian military incidents that prompted him to stop his company’s activities in Russia. “No company, person or organization should financially support a regime deliberately killing innocent civilians.”

Roughly 20 employees are impacted. “We are sad that the freedoms promised in the 90s did not prevail,” Wedel added.

Via e-mail communication, Wedel confirmed to Weekly Tech Roundup that his company has had a portion of its research and development in Russia for eight years. Interestingly, prior to that it was in Ukraine, for five years. “I have been in the region many times and have many friends an connections there,” he said. “The decision was on one hand heartbreaking, and on the other hand I feel we have no choice. People must unite against these war crimes. We have employees in Donetsk, Rostov on Don, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. None of them support this war and they are just trying to provide for their families. One is actually emigrating because he does not want to pay taxes to the government.”

Wedel notes that the decision will not impact his company in the short term. But, he added, “We will need to regroup our R&D in the near future. Even if the war were to end soon, the country will remain unstable and sanctioned as long as Putin is in power. I hope this story will make more companies consider cutting all their ties with Russia.”

 

An AM/FM pair serving a small city due north of Amarillo is being spun. The deal value includes the studio building and land, station equipment and the broadcast tower.

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(Getty Images/Carolyn-Hebbard)

I’ve never quite gotten over the fascination of having a supercomputer in my pocket.

This is a kid who was thrilled to get his first electronic calculator, even though the most impressive thing I really ever did with the thing was to spell out “shell oil” upside down with the LCD digits.

Growing up, I too hoped for jetpacks and Dick Tracy wristwatches. But I don’t think I really expected ever to be able to have a face-to-face video conversation with my brother from hundreds of miles away on a high-quality screen in my hand.

Now such capability and many others are part of everyday life — if not exactly humdrum, then at least commonplace.

And just when I get accustomed to all the things I can do with my current iPhone, Apple comes out with an even better one. I have barely scratched what my current one can do, on its own or with third-party apps added. But I try to pause and appreciate how incredible these tools really are and how much information we can call on at will, compared to all of the humans who have lived before us.

I’m musing on this because of our story this week, in which I asked a bunch of our friends and readers to tell us about their most useful smartphone apps. Check it out, and let me know your own faves.

Meanwhile, thanks to the internet, I now know that the website Dr. Mike’s Math Games for Kids lists more than 230 words that work for the Upside-Down Calculator Word Game. My childhood “shell oil” would be:

710.77345

That information makes me happy.

The post Indeed There’s an App for That appeared first on Radio World.

It’s another steady-as-she-goes week for advertisers using national radio to reach consumers.

That said, a popular heritage convenience store chain is now in the Media Monitors Spot Ten Radio report … and it’s a place we paid $3.59 a gallon for gasoline while visiting St. Petersburg, Fla., on Friday.

Our shout-out goes to Circle K, which has a formidable footprint of quick-mart and fill-up sites across the U.S. With 7 Eleven stores expanding of late and competition in Florida from Philadelphia-area legend WAWA, the convenience store category is hot.

Furthermore, as Mintel research conducted in 2011 shows, African Americans overindex in their frequency and purchasing of goods at convenience stores, compared to the total population. This hasn’t changed today, giving the category a unique opportunity at Radio, given the R&B and hip-hop formats that make FM a prime listener destination in markets with a sizable Black population.

Overall, Circle K is No. 10 on the latest Spot Ten Radio report. It’s the lone new entrant, as Indeed remains the big No. 1 and both Progressive and Babbel continue their strong use of spot radio. In particular, Babbel spots were heard Saturday evening on WWLL-FM in Sebring, Fla., and have been heard on stations in Cambria, Calif.

This illustrates the continued importance of national radio in a media mix, and how brands can capitalize on reaching unique audiences in non-rated markets.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KSCW-DT, channel 12, Wichita, Kansas. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 28 for channel 12 at in the Table of Allotments.