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The Media Bureau and iHeartMedia, Inc. enter into a Consent Decree regarding compliance with political file obligations

Companies Have Recently Demonstrated Substantial Compliance with Rules

The Media Bureau and Entercom License, LLC enter into a Consent Decree regarding compliance with political file obligations

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It seems that some of America’s largest and most prominent radio companies didn’t do a very good job at managing their political files until recently.

Six of them — owning almost 1,900 radio stations combined — have agreed to settlements with the Federal Communications Commission. They are iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, Entercom, Salem Media Group, Beasley Media and Alpha Media.

The outcome feels like something of a “group slap on the wrist,” one that nevertheless seems to carry an FCC warning — or call it a reminder — to the industry.

The six companies agreed to adopt best practices and put compliance systems in place; no financial penalty is involved. The FCC noted sympathetically that radio companies are in the midst of a challenging pandemic and business environment; but it pointed out that it had opted not to pursue “civil penalties” where it could have.

The settlements

At issue are the rules that require U.S. radio stations to keep track of certain information and make it available for public inspection. That includes requests for purchase of broadcast time from candidates for office and from “issue advertisers.” Stations are supposed to upload the information to their online political files “as soon as possible.”

The FCC said it’s crucial that political files are complete and up to date, in part because the information affects, among other things, the statutory rights of opposing candidates to request equal opportunities.

The texts of the six settlements are largely the same, with the FCC noting that each company had voluntarily informed the commission in February that many of their stations had not uploaded the records. Informal discussions at that time led each company to promise to do better and to conduct a compliance report over an immediate test period of several weeks.

In each case, the FCC said that the companies had gotten their act together, showing “significant” or “dramatic” improvement in complying with their political file obligations.

That led the FCC to end the investigation. The companies admit violating the political file obligations, they’ll implement compliance plans and they’ll submit periodic compliance reports.

The commission noted that the pandemic “has placed the radio broadcast industry as a whole under significant financial stress from a dramatic reduction in advertising revenues,” and that the companies’ voluntary disclosure and cooperation, combined with these “exceptional circumstances,” led it to settle.

But it made clear it was giving the companies a break. Sample language: “It is in express consideration of these unique conditions that the Bureau, in the exercise of its prosecutorial discretion, forbears from including a civil penalty on the basis of [a company’s] noncompliance during their license terms as an element of the Bureau’s agreement to enter this Consent Decree.”

The investigation also is one that probably was  a lot easier to conduct than it would have been five years ago, before the new online political file process existed. Reviewing the files is presumably far easier for FCC staff now.

The post Big Radio Companies Settle With FCC on Online Political Files appeared first on Radio World.

 

On Demand screen of the SiriusXM 360L, system as seen in a Volkswagen model

Volkswagen is the latest major car brand to start offering the 360L infotainment platform from SiriusXM.

We’ve been reporting on the rollout of 360L by various carmakers because of its “hybrid” radio features like on-demand content and personalization, continuing a trend in car dashboards to meld broadcast and internet/streaming capabilities to create more powerful audio and content offerings.

General Motors, Audi and BMW have made similar announcements in recent months.

Volkswagen will begin introducing SiriusXM with 360L in most model year 2021 vehicles. Buyers get a three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM’s top tier.

[Read Radio World’s recent special report on hybrid radio trends.]

“For model year 2021, the majority of Volkswagen models receive the all-new third generation of Volkswagen’s modular infotainment platform — MIB3,” according to a press release.

Now Playing screen of SiriusXM 360L as it will appear in equipped VWs

“Every model that is equipped with MIB3 will offer SiriusXM with 360L, including the model year 2021 Arteon, Atlas Cross Sport, Golf GTI, Jetta, Jetta GLI, and Tiguan. The Atlas, introduced as a MY21 vehicle this spring, will incorporate MIB3 and SiriusXM with 360L as a mid-year change for MY21.5.”

The announcement was made by Hein Schafer, senior vice president, product marketing and strategy for Volkswagen of America and  Chris Paganini, VP, automotive partnerships, for SiriusXM.

The post SiriusXM Adds Volkswagen to the 360L Family appeared first on Radio World.

Philippine flag

The World Broadcasting Unions is voicing support for a large broadcaster in the Philippines after the country’s House of Representatives voted to shut down the broadcaster’s TV and radio services, which include 18 FM and five AM stations.

“The House vote on Friday, July 10, puts at risk the employment of more than 11,000 workers and has drawn accusations of an attack against press freedom,” WBU said in a statement. WBU is a coordinating body of broadcasting unions that represent broadcast networks around the world.

“The closure of ABS/CBN is a matter of concern, not just in the Philippines but internationally.”

It said the vote followed a cease-and-desist order in May by the country’s media regulator shutting down ABS-CBN’s outlets, which also include 42 television stations and 10 digital broadcast channels.

WBU said ABS-CBN is the oldest broadcasting network in the Philippines, operating since 1946, “and a vital source of information for tens of millions of Filipinos.” It noted the importance of broadcast media during the pandemic and in awareness of tropical storms.

It asked lawmakers and the Duterte Administration to reconsider renew ABS-CBN’s franchise.

The WBU noted that ABS-CBN has been fighting to retain its broadcast rights after regulators initially turned down its renewal in February. It was operating under a temporary license. Separately the country’s Supreme Court deferred a hearing in the case. “It is unclear what effect the House vote will have on this legal action,” WBU wrote.

WBU’s members are the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, the Arab States Broadcasting Union, the African Union of Broadcasting, the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, the European Broadcasting Union, the International Association of Broadcasting and the North American Broadcasters Association.

 

The post WBU Asks Philippine Government to Renew ABS/CBN License appeared first on Radio World.

Federico d’Avis

Federico d’Avis is retiring from his position as international sales director of Dielectric; he’ll continue as a part-time consultant to the antenna manufacturer, while John Macdonald takes over his former role.

“Federico was responsible for Dielectric’s growth in the CALA region and Canada over 12 years with the company,” the firm said in an announcement. “He substantially raised Dielectric’s visibility and market share in these regions, and was responsible for the company’s largest regional projects.

[Related: Read other recent People News]

“He also built partnerships in countries that helped Dielectric get closer to its customers. This notably includes Brazil, where he established local manufacturing agreements to eliminate high import expenses, and minimize RF and antenna costs for Brazil’s broadcasters.”

John Macdonald

Among his projects were an eight-channel FM radio antenna and dual-manifold combiner for CRP Medios y Entretenimiento in Peru; RF and antenna systems for TV Azteca’s national ATSC DTV network in Mexico; and TV channel relocation projects for Canada’s DTV Allotment Plan.

Before joining Dielectric 11 years ago, he worked in microwave antenna sales with Gabriel Electronics and Radio Waves.

John Macdonald has worked with international transmission manufacturers such as Broadcast Electronics, Thomcast and Nautel. He will report to Jay Martin, VP of sales.

Send announcements for our People News column to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Federico D’Avis of Dielectric Retires appeared first on Radio World.

GPB’s Tom Barclay and “Morning Edition” host Leah Fleming.

The author is radio operations manager for Georgia Public Broadcasting.

ATLANTA — Georgia Public Broadcasting covers local politics across 18 radio stations and nine television stations in the state. Over the past several months, we’ve covered more local, political and live breaking news events than ever, even by election year standards.

This was on top of another major change: In early March, GPB reporters in Macon, Savannah and Atlanta were sent home with laptops, mics and other equipment to ride out the pandemic.

Fortunately, we had the studio infrastructure to do all the above.

In 2018, we moved our offices, rebuilt our studios and repopulated studios with new WheatNet-IP audio networking and LX-24 console surfaces. We built four edit studios and an air studio, production studio and talk studio while transitioning over from our Wheatstone Bridge TDM system to the new WheatNet-IP audio network using a Wheatstone MADI Blade, which let us move multiple audio channels between the two easily.

The talk studio was the last one we completed in the fall of 2019, which gave me a few months to finalize settings and workflows before the pandemic hit. I had spent some time setting up salvos on the studio LX-24 consoles so that operators could interrupt the ENCO automation and mix feeds from any three of the adjoining studios in the facility.

That came in handy during our many live-breaking news events; operators simply press a button on the console that fires off a salvo to interrupt the automation and go live instantly to any of the other studios. I set up a similar salvo routine to stop station IDs from firing during such events, another function that has come in handy.

Finally, to repurpose broadcast television audio for radio, I set up a Wheatstone HD-SDI Blade into the WheatNet-IP network that de-embeds audio from a video stream for direct input to the console and then on-air.

I’ve since added Glass E remote client software for the LX-24 boards so that instead of having someone come in to turn off or on the feed and insert whatever breaks are needed, it can all be done remotely from home. The remote client software mirrors the console so that settings can be changed remotely.

There were practical reasons for upgrading to WheatNet-IP audio networking at the time, but all those paled in comparison to the actual events of the last few months.

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

For information about Wheatstone consoles, contact Jay Tyler in North Carolina at 1-252-638-7000 or visit www.wheatstone.com.

The post User Report: New WheatNet-IP Studios Handle Recent Events appeared first on Radio World.

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Tony Currie

Radio Six International has not been a full-time shortwave broadcaster for some time. But after two recent live broadcasts on 6070 kHz prompted by the pandemic, it says it will continue monthly broadcasts at least for now.

Radio World visited electronically with Tony Currie.

Live music session

RW: Is this a new offering? What has been the response to it?

Tony Currie: We thought that during the COVID epidemic it might be nice to reach out to our former shortwave listeners; and after the first live show in June, which had many emails while we were on the air and letters afterwards, we thought we’d give a monthly show a try, at least until the pandemic is over. If that’s ever the case.

Radio World: For those who don’t know, what is Radio Six International?

Currie: An international station based in Scotland, with regular listeners in 201 countries.

It began as a schoolkids’ hobby way back in 1963 and never quite went away. It expanded to provide a wired service to neighbors and a care home next door … then started making a few syndicated programs, first for a station in Dubai, then KPFK in Los Angeles.

Radio Six International publishes a monthly newsletter, here with Thea Newcomb on the cover. (You can read it here.)

Then it turned into a place where professionals could play and try out new ideas. Then in 1985 it was the first commercial cable radio network in Europe … made syndicated programs for all sorts of stations including the BBC and Ukrainian state radio … and in 2000 launched a 24-hour service on cable, where it has remained ever since.

We are noncommercial and not-for-profit; I fund the operation. The station is run by a small team of professionals for the fun of it and the joy of radio, rather than as a money making exercise.

We play unsigned and indie music with live sessions and a fantastic team of very experienced specialist music professionals including John Cavanagh, Kenny Tosh, Ewan Spence, Todd Gordon, David Belcher, Thea Newcomb, Susan Fisher and Denis and Rose Blackham, as well as myself.

RW: On what platforms is it heard, and where?

Currie: Online at www.radiosix.com 24 hours a day (mp3, Ogg and AAC+ streams). Via World FM in New Zealand daily simulcasts (1 hour a day weekdays and between four and six hours on weekends); simulcasts on PCJ FM in Taiwan for four hours at weekends, plus syndicated to 58 AM/FM/digital stations in the UK, Australia, USA, and Singapore. [Find more about tuning in.]

RW: Where are the studios and where are the transmission facilities?

Disgruntled listeners crowd the door to the studio in Glasgow.

Currie: Main studio and playout center are in Glasgow, Scotland, and a brand-new facility on the Isle of Lismore in Scotland. The shortwave transmitter is at Rohrbach, Germany.

We also use studios in Edinburgh and London and have broadcast programs from Washington; Los Angeles; Reykjavik in Iceland; Sydney, Australia; and many live location broadcasts including one from a former pirate radio ship at sea, which was broadcast live on shortwave.

RW: What role does shortwave play in your overall strategy?

Currie: It’s a bonus — our main outlet is the internet, followed by syndication, but it’s nice to broadcast live to people who still use analog radio sets.

We launched on shortwave in December 2003 with monthly programs, and for a period from August 2004 until July 2005 we were broadcasting on shortwave daily, followed by weekly transmissions until the end of 2008.

Since then there have been a few sporadic shortwave broadcasts.

RW: What impact has COVID-19 had on your own operations?

Currie: None at all

RW: You mentioned that you’ve had interest in QSL cards, what should readers know about that?

Currie: We are always delighted to receive reception reports, and send an e-card free of charge or a printed QSL card on receipt of a dollar or euro. Email letters@radiosix.com for an e-card or write to Radio Six International, 21 Sherbrooke Avenue, Glasgow G41 4HF, Scotland for a printed card and a free copy of our program schedule.

The post Radio Six Pops Up Again on Shortwave appeared first on Radio World.

S-Class MBUX display. (MBUX stands for Mercedes-Benz User Experience.)

Mercedes has been in the headlines this summer for upgrades to its MBUX infotainment system, available in the S-Class vehicles. (As a CNET automotive website puts it, the S-Class is Mercedes’ flagship so it gets the first of any “latest and greatest innovations” before they reach the rest of its lineup.)

Watching such developments with interest is Jeff Jury, who leads the Automotive Group at Xperi.

He posted on social media that the MBUX “offers a good example of how car companies are innovating around their infotainment offerings, and looking to provide a personalized look and feel in the vehicle.”

Radio World checked in with Jury for an update on dashboard trends and how they play with Xperi’s HD Radio and DTS Connected Radio offerings.

Radio World: What do you see in the Mercedes photos that you think radio industry folks need to pay attention to?

Jeff Jury: There are two very high-level points that are relevant to the radio industry.

Jeff Jury of Xperi

First, Daimler [the parent of Mercedes] is not just handing over the dash to Apple or Google. They are innovating for their customers. This is a great outcome for the radio industry because it means not all entertainment needs to be behind a car play or android for auto wall.

Second, the main screen has radio as a separate icon (and apps as a separate icon). This shows that radio is compelling, and importantly, a standalone infotainment source for Daimler buyers. Again, good for the radio industry because radio is a main option, not one of many apps in the dash.

RW: What other recent car model or infotainment system introductions are notable to you?

Jury: A number of the e-vehicle manufacturers are innovators in the dash. I know that companies like Byton, Karma, etc. all had a very user-friendly, and radio-friendly, dash experience. A number of these may not come to market soon due to economic issues. But it does show the trend towards in cabin environments which look more like phone screens than traditional car dashes.

For cars available today, I believe systems such as Audi MMI (below) and BMW iDrive and ConnectedDrive also represent the look and feel of the future.

Audi MMI screen

RW: What features are coming that will further change how consumers interact with audio or radio in the car?

Jury: I believe the move towards personalization will accelerate in future car generations. In addition to setting up the dash with icons based on your preference, the car systems will also have recommendation systems for content. So the dash look and feel can be personalized, and the content delivery can be personalized.

And, as long as radio has compelling content, this is a good news story. Those great stations people love will be recommended, and great content on stations can be discovered.

Audio MMI touch response system

RW: Xperi and DTS are active in the evolving hybrid radio space. How close are we in the United States to consumers having ready access to these hybrid kind of systems?

Jury: I believe we are very close. We continue to work with most car companies on developing hybrid systems for deployment around the world, including the USA.

I am happy to report that many car companies see the value in upgrading radio. In fact, many work with us on deploying HD Radio, and they are working on us with various version of Connected Radio. They see value to the consumer in both the digital broadcast capability, and the “hybrid” nature of delivering broadcast content back by IP metadata.

[Related: “Hybrid Radio Picks Up Momentum”]

RW: One radio engineer told me he thinks hybrid radio is just a transition or gateway to 4G/5G delivery. Thoughts on that?

Jury: First, let me confirm that linear content, such as radio and TV, is still extremely popular. And even with new systems that enable many new services and content platforms, people still want TV and radio.

Regarding technologies, we believe there is still quite a bit of life in traditional broadcast technologies. There is no more efficient data pipe to deliver one-to-many content into vehicles than radio. Yes, 4G/5G will grow and more cars will have built in modems, but that does not chance the efficiency of broadcast delivery.

In a world where the automobile will be getting inputs and sending data to multiple sources, you still have needs for additional, efficient means of delivering content into the vehicle.

RW: What should radio and media companies be doing that they’re not already, to be better prepared for changes in audio systems in the car?

Jury: We started out talking about personalization. The key to that is accurate metadata.

We spend a lot of effort within Xperi making sure we have accurate station metadata for our systems. This is essential so that as consumers’ increasing use voice to call up stations and use personalization capabilities to find what they like, that a radio station can be found.

Over the years with HD Radio, we have worked with stations on making sure station information, artist images, song titles, etc. are accurate during broadcasts. In the future, this becomes even more important in the connected world, with personalization.

RW: Anything else we should know from your part of the technology world?

Jury: Yes, one topic that doesn’t get a lot of attention when talking hybrid radio is system security.

Hybrid means “connected’ radio in various forms.” This means the connection has to be secure. For both HD Radio and our DTS Connected Radio system, we have had third-party network specialists do audits to validate the security of the system.

It is important that whatever system is interfacing with the car, that it has state-of-the-art overall system security. While this may not have been a big issue years ago, as car become extensions of eco-systems, it is an important requirement. And I am happy to say that we focus on this for all radio-related services we deliver.

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

The post Jeff Jury Highlights Further Personalization of the Dash appeared first on Radio World.

GENEVA — Switzerland is embarking on the next phase of its digital radio switchover strategy. In May René Wehrlin, media specialist at Switzerland’s Federal Office of Communications (Ofcom) announced the country’s next steps toward the country’s total transition to DAB+.

Ofcom officially confirmed in 2019 that the nation would say “adios” to all FM radio programs by the end of 2024 at the latest. At the time, the “Digital Migration” (DigiMig) working group, set up by the Swiss private and public radio sectors and Ofcom in 2013, stated that 68% of radio listening was digital, 37% of which was via DAB+ and 15% exclusively via FM.

The Right Moment

René Wehrlin

According to Wehrlin, with 10 regional/language-based multiplexes and 15 local multiplexes, a total of 124 stations are now broadcasting via DAB+ in the country. This includes public broadcaster SRG SSR, private broadcasters as well as local and regional broadcasters.

This means DAB+ is now the most used radio reception platform in Switzerland, and Wehrin says the Swiss radio industry is “convinced it’s the right time to prepare for the switch off of FM services.”

[Related: “Broadcast Digital Radio Endures With DAB+”]

Wehrin points to cohesion of the nation’s public and private broadcasters as a major factor in allowing Switzerland to keep pace with its digital switchover plans.

“They are collaborating on the switchover and costs, while competing on content,” he said. “Private radios, public broadcasters and Ofcom have come together in the digital migration through DigiMig to secure a healthy and strong future for the digital future of radio in Switzerland.”

What’s more, Switzerland is diving head first into the digital radio pool. Unlike Norway, which finalized its digital switchover in 2017 but allowed some local stations to remain on FM for five years longer, Switzerland aims to have all stations transitioned to digital by the end of 2024, when FM radio licenses expire.

“It’s possible to switch off FM earlier, but either way we are sure that from 2025 onward — and the radio industry is in absolute agreement on this — there will in all probability no longer be any FM radio in Switzerland,” he said.

Particular Landscape

While Switzerland followed the Norway transition closely, each country in Europe has its own radio landscape and must adjust their individual approach.

“In contrast to Norway, we have four language groups in three parts of the country that must be served equally,” he said. “And we don’t have many large private radio groups. Most private radio stations are not national, but at most have a regional focus.”

That said, he admits the experience of his distant Nordic neighbor provided Switzerland with important insights ahead of its digital switchover.

“For example, we learned that migration would only be successful if all actors — private and public — work toward a common goal,” he said. “This includes all stations switching off their FM services.” He adds that it was also important to learn that DAB+ coverage must be at least equivalent to FM. “For us this also means perfect coverage in highway tunnels. We’ve invested a lot of money in tunnel equipment.”

But of course transitions never come without a few challenges. One area to which Ofcom is paying particular attention remains DAB+ in the car. He says the regulator continues to work closely with the automotive industry to advise existing drivers to install DAB+ in their cars.

Challenges

Today some 96% of new cars sold in Switzerland come equipped with DAB+, but there are still more than 3 million cars on the roads that are not yet compatible with DAB+. This, emphasizes Wehrin, is why it’s important to raise awareness on DAB+ with current drivers.

“With the vast majority of new cars sold in Switzerland now being factory-fitted with DAB+, we have now shifted our attention to the aftermarket sector. Educating the automotive industry and existing drivers on the importance of DAB+ for aftermarket cars is crucial,” he said.

“With this in mind, public broadcaster SRG and our advertising agency have been organizing and running number of automotive workshops, to inform the automotive industry on the opportunities related to DAB+ in aftermarket cars, and offer retail training.”

The campaign, which sports the slogan “More Programs, More Sound, More Radio,” is divided into two phases. The first phase is based on raising awareness and highlighting the benefits of DAB+, as well as preparing the public for the digital switchover. The second phase of the campaign will communicate the official date for the switch off of FM services, and serve as a call to action for the B2B sector.

“Dabsy” is the official mascot for Ofcom’s digital radio campaign.

Wehrin explains that “Dabsy,” the campaign’s official mascot will be the mouthpiece for both stages of the campaign. He adds that marketing efforts based on the digital switchover will also begin one year prior to the switchover.

He stresses that Switzerland’s DSO is the result of an industry decision, not of the authorities. “We have only established the legal basis and assured financial support if the industry wants to take the step.” Also, he says, in order to strengthen media diversity and motivate new players, in recent years Ofcom has subsidized up to 80% of DAB+ transmission costs. “I think this measure has contributed significantly to the success of DAB+ here.”

While the ultimate FM shutoff date is slated for the end of 2024, Wehrin says there are ongoing industry discussions about an even earlier switch off date.

“But this decision has not yet been taken,” he specifies. “Private radio stations will carefully weigh up this decision. They worry they would lose listeners and thus advertising revenue if there isn’t enough DAB+ equipment in circulation at the time of the switch off. And we all need to take this seriously.”

The post Switzerland Inches Closer to FM Switch-Off appeared first on Radio World.