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By Ed Ryan and Adam Jacobson
Streamline Publishing

Cumulus Media isn’t commenting publicly, but its CEO on Wednesday (8/11) — in a video message sent to all employees — declared that combating the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus means anyone who works for the audio content and distribution company “must be fully vaccinated” by the official return-to-office date of October 11.

News of the internal communiqué was first made known publicly by radio industry blog RadioInsight.com. Further details were gathered by both RBR+TVBR and Radio Ink on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

In the video, Berner said, “All employees, except for those few who are already designated permanent remote like our traffic organization, must be fully vaccinated by our grand reopening date.”

The mandate is the first for a radio broadcasting company, and it includes the entire Cumulus market-by-market sales force and each of the Cumulus Media corporate employees in its New York and Atlanta offices.

Further, it is believed but not confirmed that all Westwood One employees are impacted by the vaccination order from the C-Suite.

“The company is not commenting,” a Cumulus spokesperson told RBR+TVBR Tuesday evening.

“There will be no exceptions unless it’s mandated by law,” Berner added, noting that the vast majority of Cumulus employees were already vaccinated. “If you are someone who has not made that choice, it is for your own protection.”

In its 10Q SEC filing made along with its second quarter 2021 earnings, Cumulus stated, “Since March 2020, most of our employees have been working from home, with only certain essential employees working on site at our radio stations. Beginning in the third quarter of 2021, a majority of our employees will be returning to our stations or offices. For all employees returning to work, we have instituted COVID-19 protocols, increased the level of cleaning and sanitizing in the offices and radio stations and undertaken other actions to make these offices and stations safer for our employees.”

Now, it is clearly going one step further.  Issues tied to existing employee protection initiatives, Cumulus stresses, are not fueling the vaccination mandate.

“We are generally following the requirements and protocols published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and state and local governments and will continue to monitor the latest public health and government guidance related to COVID-19,” Cumulus said. “As of the date of this filing, we do not believe these safety protocols, including the remote working environment, have adversely impacted our internal controls, financial reporting systems or our operations.”

Thousands of employees are impacted, as Cumulus Media owns and/or operates 413 stations across 86 markets. Then, there is Westwood One, which offers national programming ranging from 24/7 formats, syndicated music programming, a bevy of sports talk and play-by-play coverage, and daily and weekly Talk shows.

The hosts of those shows include Dan Bongino, viewed by many as the true heir to the late Rush Limbaugh‘s conservative talk radio throne. Westwood One’s syndicated talk shows also include The Ben Shapiro Show, The Mark Levin Show, The Michael Knowles Show and The Bob & Tom Show, largely tied to Classic Rock stations thanks to its many years based at WFBQ/Indianapolis.

With Cumulus not commenting, how these hosts would be impacted by the vaccination mandate — if at all — is unclear; with home studios and auxiliary facilities more common, the hosts and other air talent may not be impacted.

That said, thousands of Cumulus employees are impacted.

As of December 31, 2019, Cumulus employed 4,732 people, 3,139 of whom were employed full-time, the company said in its SEC 10-K filing earlier this year. Of these employees, approximately 170 employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements.

“We consider our relations with our employees to be positive,” Cumulus said.

Could that have changed on Wednesday, with a potential rebellion in at least one market possible from the mandate from the corporate office? There’s also chatter that the vaccination mandate is also a way for Cumulus to further trim its employee roster as it continues to seek ways to deleverage.

While that’s simply gossip and internet chatter, one thing is clear: Cumulus has taken a step not replicated at its peers.

Audacy is mandating that all new employees receive a COVID-19 vaccine but has refrained from requiring its current employees from getting it or risk losing their job.

A Townsquare Media executive tells Streamline Publishing that the company has “encouraged our team to get vaccinated given the benefits and protection it provides from COVID-19. We have provided [Paid Time Off] to allow the time to get vaccinated. But, we have not mandated it as a condition of employment.”

Meanwhile, the industry’s largest audio media company, iHeartMedia, has not issued any statement regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and its employees.

The Cumulus announcement comes as NBCUniversal on Wednesday issued its own internal memorandum to staff, alerting them that it has delayed its return-to-office date until October 18 “at the earliest.”

According to TVNewser, an opening after the Jewish New Year on September 6 was planned. Until then, fully vaccinated employees can return to the office on a voluntary basis.

CNN last week offered a similar announcement, stating that its reopen date of Sept. 7 was now delayed to mid-October, TVNewser reports. The network, similar to NBCUniversal, has a vaccination advisory in place for anyone who wishes to work from the office. Three individuals who were not vaccinated and worked from CNN facilities were fired for not adhering to the advisory.

Ryan Star

The author of this commentary is co-founder and CEO of the social audio company Stationhead.

As the social audio phenomenon continues to evolve, traditional radio managers need to recognize that social audio isn’t just another social media format, or another way to stream audio content — it’s simply the future of radio.

The industry’s legacy players are becoming obsolete as new platforms seek to democratize the space for creatives and artists. Gone are the days of program directors playing the hits. It is now time for artists, creatives and fans to break the hits and take control of the airways.

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

To date, traditional radio has been monodirectional and controlled by gatekeepers — but in the new world of social audio, revolutionary new platforms are allowing anyone and everyone to become a radio DJ or talk show host and be their own program manager. Creativity and control are now in the hands of the artists and fans who now have the resources and access needed to someday become the next Joe Rogan or Howard Stern.

 

Authentic Connection

If we have learned anything this past year, it is that the desire to connect has never been higher.

Our eyes are exhausted from Zoom meetings and scrolling through our phones. People are turning off screens and engaging in different ways: through their voice and the music they love. Audio has become a first-class medium, much like video did a decade ago.

Through the renaissance of audio, audiences and creators are realizing the power of their actual voice and the ability to connect to others without a “filtered” version of themselves. When people connect over audio, it’s completely authentic and without the pretensions that dominate every other social platform.

Fans are taking back the airwaves and changing the way we celebrate our favorite artists.

The technology of social audio democratizes radio so everyone can win. It creates a level playing field where the audience and creators can share content they’re passionate about in real time.

For example, in May 2021 more than 400,000 fans came together on Stationhead for a live streaming party for K-pop supergroup BTS’ new single “Butter,” which has been at the top of the Billboard charts since its release. Most bands or musicians would have to go on a three-year world tour to reach a comparable audience to the fans that showed up for that same event digitally.

Since then, we have seen thousands of fan-driven radio stations launch to celebrate their favorite artists and build community around the music.

 

Radio Managers, Listen up

In looking at other industries that have recently undergone similar cycles of digital innovation, we can see how the present disruption in audio will ultimately give power back to consumers who are ready for change.

A recent example beyond media of how technology has helped put power back in the hands of the consumer is the rise of ride sharing apps. Social audio is to licensed broadcasters what Uber has become to taxi drivers in New York City who were beholden to an outdated and unfair “medallion” system. Social audio — and especially the creators within the space — has given the entire ecosystem the freedom to make the choices that are right for their audiences and personal brands.

Within this period of change, there is opportunity for existing broadcasters large and small to meet a new generation of listeners where they’re ready to engage.

Radio managers today need to jump on board and consider their audience’s evolving format preferences or risk losing a generation of listeners and talent.

The emotional connection between an audience and the creators they follow is intimate and powerful, and is amplified when the audience is a part of the show itself. Much like the new generation of video stars born from YouTube and TikTok, the future of audio is starting today on these revolutionary new platforms.

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

The post Talk Hard: The Future of Radio Is Social Audio appeared first on Radio World.

MB grants Petition for Reconsideration filed by Clear Communications, Inc., and reinstates and grants application for new FM Translator station at Vineland, NJ

Sajonisi Youth Radio, a regional community radio station in Port St John, South Africa, has selected an AEQ Forum digital console for its new Radio Sajonisi studio.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

The Forum is a modular on-air console. The 12-fader unit at SYR is in the studio with the host and guests, though controlled by a board op.

Submit announcements for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post SYR Settles on AEQ appeared first on Radio World.

TEGNA-owned ABC affiliate WFAA-8 in Dallas is readying a move in 2022 from its streetside studio in the Plaza Towers building at Victory Park.

The facility, which dates to 2007, also houses a group of stations owned by one of the biggest radio broadcasting companies in the U.S.

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Since June 2016, she’s served as the News Director for The E.W. Scripps Co.-owned ABC affiliate serving Detroit.

As of today, she’s now in charge of a Hubbard Broadcasting-owned ABC affiliate in Rochester, Minn.

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HC2 Holdings, which amassed a sizable portfolio of low-power TV stations under former head Philip Falcone, has just shed the last vestiges of that era.

As of last week, it has a new name: Innovate Corp. The news arrived along with the company’s Q2 earnings report.

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Photo: Sarah Pierce Photography

Former Star Tribune Media Chair Jean Taylor has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Public Media Group, its board has announced.

Taylor will start on Aug. 23. She succeeds Jon McTaggart. A seven-month search was conducted to fill the position.

[Read: APM Picks Riddle]

APMG Board Vice Chair Mary Brainerd said, “She is someone who leads with her values, who cares deeply about the role of public media and its importance … Her deep roots in our region, her experience in media and digital technologies and her understanding of APMG are important assets for our future.”

According to an announcement, during her tenure as Chair, Star Tribune was lauded and seen as a leader in the industry for its commitment to high-quality public service journalism, its digital subscription growth, and its strong financial results. Taylor was also President and CEO of Taylor Corporation from 2001 to 2010.

The American Public Media Group includes, Minnesota Public Radio, Southern California Public Radio and program producer American Public Media.

 

 

The post Taylor Takes Over at APMG appeared first on Radio World.

What do the NAB and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters have in common?

NABOB will host its 45th Annual Fall Broadcast Conference and 21st Power of Urban Radio Forum in October, at a casino hotel and resort with ample meeting space.

There’s one key difference, however, for the NABOB affair: a hybrid option is in place.

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A search committee appointed by the Board of Trustees for American Pubic Media Group has concluded “a rigorous, national search” for its next chief executive, in partnership with executive search firm Koya Partners.

The new President/CEO, the first female individual to hold the spot, begins her new duties on August 23.

She replaces an individual who lost his role due to high-profile sexual harassment and diversity and inclusion concerns widely reported in fall 2020.

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He’s the newest member of the FCC. Nathan Simington is someone all radio broadcasters need to know.

That’s exactly what attendees of this year’s Hispanic Radio Conference will have the opportunity to do when Commissioner Simington kicks off Day Two of the conference.

As a former senior advisor at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Simington is well prepared to address the many items on the commission docket that will impact broadcasters in the years ahead.

Hispanic Radio Conference attendees will get the chance to hear him elaborate on his positions on a wide range of those issues. “First, I want to enable innovation, new technologies, and new business models,” he says. “Second, I want regulatory stability. Whenever I can advocate to stop a partisan pendulum swinging between administrations on a matter of FCC policy, I will do so. An adequate but stable rule is better than a good rule that is in danger of being revoked every election cycle.”

Third, Simington says he prefers, whenever possible, “fewer and more modest rules.”

He is coming to listen to Hispanic broadcasters as well. “I want to know what you think, because it helps me to clarify how I think,” he says.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this important session with FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington. It’s another reason you can’t afford to miss the Hispanic Radio Conference agenda. Register today for early bird pricing. If you are staying in Miami, don’t forget to take advantage of our limited room block at the Intercontinental at Doral.

 

We care about your safety and comfort. The conference will be presented in a larger than customary conference room to provide maximum space and more distancing. And read here for how the Intercontinental has strengthened procedures designed to give you greater confidence and protection throughout all of the hotel’s facilities.

In every issue of Radio World Engineering Extra, Cris Alexander and the Radio World team provide ideas, best practices and problem solvers just for engineers.

Frank McCoy writes that old-school email origination clients need a little help with authentication.

Todd Dixon explains how to do some cool things with Paessler PRTG, for network monitoring on a budget.

Paul Kriegler of Telos Alliance delves into virtualizing your air chain.

Read it here.

The post Inside the Aug. 11, 2021 Issue of RW Engineering Extra appeared first on Radio World.

Darryl Parker has died.

For radio engineers, Parker for many years was the face of TFT, a company that manufactured STL, EAS and monitoring equipment.

His death was announced on his Facebook page by his wife Elizabeth Parker. He had been in hospice care with a neuroendocrine tumor and died Friday. He was 77.

TFT, based in San Jose, Calif., was established in 1970 in Santa Clara in the Silicon Valley. Parker held the position of senior vice president for many years, and was the person best known to engineers who purchased TFT equipment.

After that company closed in 2015, Parker offered support services to its former customers and assisted other technicians and engineers in doing so as well.

“Personally I want to help all the people who have helped me over the years,” he told Radio World at the time.

“A super nice guy,” one industry colleague told RW this week. “He tried his best to keep TFT afloat.” “A great man, always available and happy to help with whatever we needed,” wrote former NPR engineering executive Mike Starling on Facebook. “A gentleman,” said engineering veteran Tom Ray.

Parker was born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in the city of Terrill. He attended Southern Methodist University and earned his B.A. in classics and mathematics. According to his Facebook page he also studied high-tech marketing at Caltech.

Parker started in broadcasting by working at a local radio station that was owned by a friend’s family. He worked on-air and in news before moving into engineering. While in high school he also worked as a grip on the movie “Giant.”

Parker was not afraid to make a little fun of himself. “Wilbur the cat was Darryl’s best buddy for the last decade,” Elizabeth Parker said.

He also had a love of liturgical music; he started organ lessons when in grade school and played for dozens of churches in his life. “The Sunday before his last hospitalization he was at the organ bench,” Elizabeth Parker said.

Former professional positions also included director of marketing at Alligator Communications; president of Parcom Inc.; sales manager at MZB & Associates; and electrical engineering director at Texas State Networks.

He is survived by his wife, a sister, two children, his step-daughter, three grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, stepmother, and brother.

Services will be announced later. “At Darryl’s wishes, he will be scattered in his beloved Texas at a later date,” his wife told Radio World.

The post Darryl Parker Dies; Was Face of TFT appeared first on Radio World.

Synthax, the domestic distributor of RME, Ferrofish, Digigram, Appsys and myMix, has chosen its next Broadcast Sales Manager. She will report directly to Derek Badala, Synthax’s Director of Sales for The Americas.

Taking the post is Brittany Hilton, who Badala calls “a consummate professional” with nearly 10 years of experience in the industry.

Hilton has spent the majority of her career in broadcast sales, most recently at the Broadcasters General Store in Ocala, Fla. Before this, she worked with Broadcast Depot as a national account manager, DoubleRadius as an outside sales rep, and worked lighting and sound at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Synthax believes her “extensive background in the industry will help her target the right products to broadcasters, allowing them to streamline their processes and obtain the highest quality audio available.”

Key to her new role will be increasing Digigram’s reach and brand awareness.

RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION

Looking for a bit of good news amid the sour headlines ranging from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation to more jabs at his counterpart in Florida, Ron DeSantis, over how he’s reacted to the rise of the Delta variant of the coronavirus in the Sunshine State?

Nielsen has some for those who own or manage radio stations. Listening levels are at their highest point since April 2020.

That said, were radio listening levels acceptable prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic?

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Photo: Pexels – Michael Judkin

Local broadcasters are urging the Senate to provide tax credits to stations that staff up their newsrooms, citing, in part, Big Tech’s “devouring” of their local ad market.

In a letter to Senate leadership, all 50 state broadcaster associations called for passage of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act.

They said the bill “would provide local newsrooms a lifeline that would enable them to sustain, and in some cases, significantly improve the critical public service these local media outlets provide their communities.”

The associations said that lifeline is needed in part because their advertising market has been disappearing, “devoured by massive online technology platforms.”

The bill, which was introduced last month by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, along with Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), would provide tax breaks for stations as well as small businesses that support local media with their ad dollars.

The goal, according to the bill’s sponsors, is to “revive and sustain trusted local media,” in which broadcast TV and radio play a central role. The credits go to support local newspapers, digital news operations, TV and radio.

 

The post Broadcasters Push for Local Journalism Tax Break Bill appeared first on Radio World.

It’s a unique Class A facility offering co-channel protection to Class B giant KBIG-FM in Los Angeles, some 90 minutes to the west. And, until July 31, it was offering the “Valley’s Greatest Hits” to listeners from Palm Springs to Twentynine Palms and Cathedral City.

Now, gracias a dios, this FM is speaking Spanish, and serving evangelical Hispanics in the Coachella Valley.

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U.S. consumers have been resuming their pre-pandemic activities, including spending and listening, according to Nielsen Audio.

“[A] rising tide of optimism headlines the American experience as we continue to emerge from the disruption caused by the virus,” wrote Managing Director Brad Kelly. “Nielsen’s ongoing series of audio consumer sentiment surveys is reporting the highest levels of consumer confidence that we’ve heard since the COVID crisis began.”

The company has released its latest “Audio Today” report, focusing on consumer sentiment. The trend lines are sunny, though the data were gathered up through May and June, so they may not reflect the most recent concerns about coronavirus variants.

“Audio use is on the rise,” Kelly wrote. “It’s being driven (pun intended) by increasing levels of mobility and traffic on our roadways. Among the employed, two thirds are now working outside the home, up more than 70% since the height of lock-down in the spring of 2020. As a result, the AM/FM Radio audience just recorded its highest levels in over a year across Nielsen’s PPM markets. Radio remains America’s top weekly reach medium, and an essential part of the daily media diet for millions.”

Kelly said while listening migrated into the home during the past year via smart speaker or mobile device, Nielsen now sees an audience shift back to pre-pandemic habits, with in-car and out-of-home consumption increasing.

Nielsen Audio also reported that podcasting attracted new listeners, particularly from home, and that podcast consumption is on the rise. “The past 18 months have proven the resiliency of podcasts, despite the major life changes brought about by COVID-19,” the company stated.

Its updated charts for weekly reach and average quarter hour listening are shown below.

 

 

 

The post Nielsen Audio Cites “Rising Tide of Optimism” appeared first on Radio World.

Note the Comrex Access codec, with its optional mixer, in its traveling case in the lower right corner.

The author is host of Walmart’s “The Bo Show.”

Walmart Radio was created in the late 1990s. It was discontinued temporarily in 2008, and Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs switched to playing CDs over their PA systems. But a CD can only hold so much music, and it hit the point where store associates knew what time of day it was based on the song that was playing.

In 2015, during a meeting with the CEO of Walmart, a store manager said that they really needed Walmart Radio back. It was reintroduced on the spot.

I am a manager in the corporate affairs and corporate communications team for Walmart and Sam’s Club, and my primary job is to oversee the radio aspect of our stores and clubs. I also host “The Bo Show,” which airs live in all locations on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the afternoons.

We run it just like any other terrestrial radio show, except we syndicate in a retail environment. I do interviews with celebrities, shout-outs for associates, take calls from customers, and play games on the air — the kinds of things you’d expect to find on any national radio show. Additionally, my colleague hosts a morning show called “Live with Antonio,” and we’ll regularly do remote events along with other special programming.

 

Packing a Punch

I’ve worked in radio for over 20 years, and spent much of that time working in terrestrial radio. In that time, I’d used plenty of Comrex gear, and I really liked it.

During the pandemic, we realized that we needed to upgrade some of our equipment. The TV division of Walmart was using some Comrex stuff already, so the name was familiar. When it was time to shop for new equipment, I thought, “Hey, this is a good company, I know the stuff — let’s give it a try.”

During the pandemic, when the main office itself shut down, a lot of our associates began working remotely. Our stores were still open, though obviously with limited capacity; and we wanted to be able to do our show, even though we couldn’t be at the studio.

We owned a single Comrex Access 2USB unit, but that wasn’t enough to handle everything we needed to do since we were all about to be working from home. So we purchased several Access NX units, the newest portable IP audio codec from Comrex, so that we could give them to everyone who needed one.

We also needed a studio codec that could handle multiple remote connections at once. After bit of research, we chose the Comrex Access MultiRack, which can handle up to five connections with any kind of Comrex IP codec simultaneously. Once everything was installed, we were off to the races!

One of the things I like about the Access NX is that it’s small, but it packs a punch. It has a lot of bells and whistles, especially when you add the extra mixer.

I’ve used it with Wi-Fi, cellular networks and also with a hardwire connection through a cradle point. The battery lasts quite some time, so you can get through a good two- or three-hour broadcast on battery power alone when connected to the mixer. Without the mixer, it can last up to 5 hours.

Having used this gear for a year, I think it’s one of the best upgrades we’ve ever made. It was essential during the pandemic. We could connect from home, and I could also log into the user interface remotely if there was ever an issue. The flexibility on it is just amazing — it’s one of the best units I’ve used in my radio career.

Info: Contact Chris Crump at Comrex at 1-978-784-1776 or visit www.comrex.com.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

The post User Report: Versatility of Access Keeps Walmart Radio Flexible appeared first on Radio World.

Issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $1,500 to Radio by Grace, Inc., for failure to timely file a license renewal application for W257DF, Atlanta, Georgia