Industry News

The Consumer Technology Association is knocking a proposal from the National Association of Broadcasters asking the FCC to impose new regulatory fees on unlicensed spectrum users. CTA argues the NAB proposal is contrary to current law, would stifle innovation and have a sweeping impact on the consumer technology market.

NAB has been aggressively pushing for an update to the regulatory fee categories so that unlicensed spectrum users, especially large tech companies, pay an annual regulatory fee similar to those already paid by broadcasters. CTA says the fees would defy precedent and hurt consumers, app developers, device makers and small businesses that rely on unlicensed spectrum.

The FCC this fall scrapped a plan to hike this year’s radio regulatory fees and instead set those fees equal to those collected in 2020. The FCC’s original proposal would have raised radio’s annual regulatory fees on average of 8% this year. NAB and all 50 state broadcast associations balked at the proposed rate hike.

[Read: Rosenworcel Calls for 6G Initiative]

As part of the FCC’s Report and Order setting the 2021 regulatory fees for broadcasters in August, the commission released a companion Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The NPRM asked for comment on adopting new regulatory fee categories and the legal basis for assessing regulatory fees on unlicensed spectrum users.

CTA says it believes the NAB proposal is contrary to commission precedent. “It also would raise serious administrability concerns, be impossible to implement in a nonarbitrary manner, and have significant implications for regulatory fees in contexts beyond unlicensed spectrum,” the CTA wrote in comments filed this week with the FCC. “Further, NAB’s proposal would undermine the enormous innovation made possible by the commission’s long-running and successful approach to unlicensed spectrum.”

The group, which represents a wide variety of consumer technology companies and is led by CEO Gary Shapiro, says NAB’s proposal overlooks that companies using unlicensed spectrum already defray commission costs in important ways.

Identifying those unlicensed spectrum users and determining the regulatory fees they should pay would be difficult, according to CTA. “Unlicensed spectrum users include consumers, state and local governments, corporations, nonprofit organizations, schools, libraries, and many more groups. Those unlicensed spectrum users do not impose discrete and well-understood duties on the Commission as licensees and other regulated parties do.”

CTA continues: “Potential beneficiaries of unlicensed spectrum subject to NAB’s proposed regulatory fees share little in common other than their use of unlicensed spectrum.”

In addition, unlicensed spectrum users receive no rights or protections from the FCC, CTA commented. “Wireless spectrum licensees receive exclusive rights to particular spectrum frequencies, which they monetize by offering services using that exclusive spectrum.”

Because of the differences between entities currently subject to regulatory fees and unlicensed users, NAB’s proposal raises a host of administrability concerns, CTA concludes in its comments.

Acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel specifically asked at the time of the NPRM “how if changes were made, can they be done in an administrative way?”

Reply comments on the NPRM (MD Docket No. 21-190) are due Nov. 5.

Here is a snippet of the questions being asked by the FCC:

• What would be the proposed methodology for assessing regulatory fees on unlicensed spectrum users, noting that unlicensed spectrum users include a significant number of equipment manufacturers, such as appliance and other home goods equipment, many of which neither apply for nor require authorization by the commission?
• Alternatively, should the commission assess regulatory fees on large technology companies based on a different basis, such as any advantages they receive because of the commission’s universal service or other activities?
• Are there other categories that should be added, deleted, or reclassified?

The post CTA Loathes Idea of FCC Collecting Fees From Unlicensed Spectrum Users appeared first on Radio World.

It was July 2018 when Salem Media Group shares were priced this high.

And, with Friday’s closing price on the Nasdaq GlobalMarket, the company known for its conservative Talk and Christian-themed radio stations will have concluded one of its biggest-ever trading days, with a massive 32.8 million shares traded.

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The RBR+TVBR InFOCUS Podcast, hosted by RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson, this week taped its 161st episode.

What are the five most-listened-to episodes of the InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM,  offered to listeners since July 1?

With nearly 2,200 downloads and even more listens via our embedded podcast player at the top of the RBR.com website, the most-listened to episode of the second half of 2021 is our interview with Anne Schelle, Managing Director of Pearl TV.

Given the average price of a TV equipped with NEXTGEN TV capabilities, we just had to catch up with Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Schelle. Are chip shortages and supply chain issues a factor? Are consumers really coughing up more than $1,000 for a new set?

Schelle shares all, along with what TV viewers in big Canadian markets with access to U.S. TV stations, can expect, in this fresh InFOCUS Podcast. LISTEN HERE.

The second most-listened to InFOCUS podcast since July 1 features our interview with Marketron SVP of Product Jimshade Chaudhari. It was conducted just hours before the NAB announced it was killing the 2021 NAB Show due to continued COVID-19 pandemic concerns.

Our No. 3 most-listened to podcast features Capital Broadcasting Co. VP of Radio Brian Maloney, who offered an exclusive look inside a company that was first to embrace HD Radio and more recently helped bring NEXTGEN TV to fruition. LISTEN HERE.

Rounding out the top five podcasts: an exclusive conversation with veteran media broker Dick Foreman (LISTEN HERE) and a September 30 podcast with Keith Pelletier, the Dielectric executive who shares details on why a move from physical to AI-driven simulated modeling could matter to all C-Suite executives (LISTEN HERE).

MIAMI BEACH — One of the last media industry events to be held prior to the March 2020 arrival of COVID-19 in North America was Matrix Solutions’ fourth Media Ad Sales Summit.

The Pittsburgh-based tech company has confirmed that it is heading back to South Florida, and will stage its two-day event right next door to NATPE Miami.

The event, returning to the Eden Roc/Nobu Hotel, is scheduled for January 19-21, 2022.

The Summit brings together media and tech thought leaders from across varying market verticals and, says Matrix Solutions, will provide “the necessary forum for discussing and invoking real change for building a prosperous advertising ecosystem that promotes industry-wide automation, data consistency, and transparency.”

Additionally, the sessions will delve into “reducing the friction between the buy and sell sides when delivering advertising inventory across multiple delivery paths.”

Among the key topics to be discussed are:

• Ad Sales Automation & AI
• Programmatic Ad Sales
• Data-enabled Linear & Cross-Platform Sales
• Addressable Advertising
• Fast, OTT, CTV & AVOD
• Local TV Advertising in a Digital World

To register, view the agenda, or get more information on the Media Ad Sales Summit, visit https://www.matrixformedia.com/summit2022.

The Radio + Television Business Report welcomes industry leaders to share their views, thoughts and opinions by writing a column, opinion piece or Letter to the Editor. Today, we offer a Letter to the Editor from Jamie Arbona, President of San Francisco-based In-Language Radio. 

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The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has appointed the former Chief of Staff for Alexandria City Public Schools in Northern Virginia as its first-ever SVP of Human Resources and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

He will begin his new job on December 6.

In this new position, Dr. Stephen Wilkins will be responsible for the development and implementation of a human resources strategy that builds on CPB’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Dr. Wilkins will report directly to CPB President/CEO Patricia Harrison and will work closely with his peers in the public media community.

Dr. Wilkins has also been Chief Human Resources Officer for Alexandria City Public Schools.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to join the outstanding team at CPB,” Dr. Wilkins said. “I have been so fortunate to work with talented people during my time in the public education sector and military. Now I look forward to using the knowledge and experience in organizational management to help CPB maintain a great workplace for the success of our employees in our public broadcasting mission.”

Prior to his work in education, Dr. Wilkins served on the Pentagon staff and commanded at the company, battalion, and brigade levels, leading soldiers, civilians, and contractors to mission success. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Dynamic Pricing is also a key subject up for discussion during a November 3 webinar for broadcast sales professionals hosted by Marketron.

The session aims to explain to broadcast sales professionals how they can leverage the power of yield management and dynamic pricing to increase revenue.

Titled “Yield Management in Broadcast Sales: Why It’s a Powerful Tool,” the webinar begins at 2pm Eastern. An overview of yield management will then turn to a discussion of just how integrating dynamic pricing into the sales process can help drive greater success and profitability.

“Because commercial inventory is a fixed and time-limited resource, it is vital to sell as much as possible at the best rate possible,” said Todd Kalman, Marketron’s SVP of Sales. “Yield management simplifies this task, making it easy for sales managers to price inventory dynamically based on demand. It’s a must in today’s competitive advertising marketplace.”

Adam Lang, founder and CEO of Relativity Consulting Pty. Ltd., will present the webinar.

Registration is open now:
https://www.marketron.com/yield-management-in-broadcast-sales-webinar/.

Audacy Inc., which one week ago gained attention in San Francisco for saying goodbye to the Alternative format after 35 years with a change at KITS-FM to Adult Hits, has just said “Bye, Buckaroos” to the only Country music station covering the Big Apple and the majority of the New York Tri-State area.

In its place — music enjoyed by a multicultural mix of Gen X radio listeners, with such artists as Usher, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige now in the mix.

WNSH-FM 94.7, licensed to Newark, N.J., is now “New York’s #1 For Throwbacks,” with branding as “94.7 The Block.”

“From the Apollo Theater to Lincoln Center, everyone is listening,” one liner voiced by an African American female states in part. Indeed, “The Block” is designed to attract Blacks, Caucasians, Latinos and Asians who were raised on WQHT “Hot 97” across the 1990s, when it first transitioned from freestyle dance music to Hip-Hop.

Chris Oliviero, SVP and Market Manager for Audacy in New York, says “The Block” will offer songs and artists “that are synonymous with New York’s iconic hip-hop culture and that still strongly resonate with listeners today across all generations.”

He adds, “This was an opportunity to add a quintessential New York sound to our audio portfolio that has been missing in the area, while at the same time continuing to engage with our New York country audience thru HD and digital platforms.”

The launch of “The Block” mirrors a similar format change in Chicago, where Audacy owns WBMX-FM “104.3 Jams.” On November 17, WBMX will complete its fourth year offering throwback Rhythmic hits in the Windy City.

At WNSH, a commercial free debut with 25,000 songs in a row is underway. More programming details and local on-air talent will be announced in the coming months.

For listeners of the former “Country 94.7,” the format continues — minus air personalities — on WNSH HD2 and on the Audacy app; the audio was noticeably problematic in the Noon ET hour when accessed by RBR+TVBR.

‘TAPS’ FOR A FORMER ‘NASH’ FLAGSHIP

In a November 2019 visit to then-Entercom’s New York studios and offices at 345 Hudson Street, there was a new energy in the building. Eight months after its acquisition from Cumulus Media, WNSH-FM was attracting listeners as “New York’s Country 94.7.” Under Cumulus, WNSH had been the flagship for the company’s now-defunct multimedia “NASH” brand. The key reason for the change: New Yorkers didn’t care about Nashville.

Alas, it appears advertisers and New Yorkers within the “donut” that is the Five Boroughs of the City of New York lost interest in WNSH over the last 23 months. In the September 2021 Nielsen Audio ratings, WNSH had 1.9 share of the 6+ radio listening audience.

WNSH had been a Country station since January 21, 2013, enjoying format exclusivity among big-signaled FMs in New York. It was largely heralded by Nashville and by Country music fans, as the market had not had a Country station since the 2002 demise of “New Country Y-107,” owned by the former Big City Radio and heard across three suburban facilities in a trimulcast. The last full signaled Country station in New York was WYNY-FM, at 103.5 MHz. That station became the highly successful WKTU-FM in 1996, bringing back call letters made famous during the Disco era at 92.3 MHz.

Now, Country is absent again from the Big Apple. In the New York City suburbs, it is a different story. In Monmouth-Ocean, N.J., Press Communications’ WKMK-FM 106.3 “Thunder 106” is a Class A covering an area including Asbury Park and Long Branch. It is the No. 1-ranked music station in the market.

But in Morristown, N.J., a format void has emerged. WNSH in fall 2019 had a 5.8 share, ranking No. 3. In Spring 2021, it was No. 5 with a still-respectable 3.4 share. The Middlesex-Somerset-Union, N.J., market showed WNSH tied for No. 6 in the September 2021 Nielsen Audio results.

Then, there is the City of New York and Nassau County, on Long Island. WNSH was the lone major-signal Country station in Market No. 1 and Market No. 20, respectively. JVC Broadcasting’s WJVC-FM 96.1 only reaches Suffolk County, N.Y.

A BIGGER FLAME FOR THROWBACKS

Until WNSH’s sign-on in early 2013, the 94.7 MHz signal was the home for Harold Camping and his Family Radio-branded Christian Talk and Teaching programming. It had been WFME since 1964, and largely considered a Northern New Jersey radio station with limited coverage of New York City.

While the station had a 23.5kw Class B signal, multipath problems in Manhattan created many obstacles for WNSH and, before that, WFME. A Construction Permit for 40kw has helped ease that issue, using a tower site within sight of MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

In related news, Audacy is looking for a skilled Programming Coordinator to provide project management and administrative support to the core programming leadership group in New York City.

Among the job’s responsibilities, the coordinator will assist in the planning and organizational management tasks around programming, content and creative with a large portfolio of radio stations and digital content platforms; and help develop and implement consumer marketing and advertising campaigns in select markets to drive ratings.

https://careers-audacy.icims.com/jobs/3726/programming-coordinator/job?mobile=false&width=1094&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-480&jun1offset=-420

How can the FCC improve the regulatory fee process for broadcast licensees of radio and television stations?

The NAB has some suggestions, and offered them to the Commission in a filing submitted Thursday (10/22) by the leading lobbying voice in Washington for AMs, FMs, UHFs and VHFs across the U.S.

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As 2022 begins, NAB COO Curtis Legeyt will assume the role of President/CEO of the nation’s leading voice in Washington for the broadcast media industry.

Gordon Smith is winding down a 12-year tenure at the association, and with the cancellation of the 2021 NAB Show, there’s only one place radio and TV industry executives will get the chance to personally wish Smith well as he heads into retirement.

FORECAST 2022, presented by the Radio + Television Business Report and Radio Ink, is that locale. Scheduled for November 16 at the Harvard Club in New York, this year’s event promises to be dynamic and full of insightful, intelligence-filled panel discussions largely free of press coverage.

You read that correctly. Only Radio Ink and RBR+TVBR will offer select highlights from Forecast 2022 — and that includes an afternoon Conversation with Gordon Smith and Curtis Legeyt, sponsored by Katz Media Group.

What is the state of the broadcast industry from the Inside the Beltway view?

What are the key legal, regulatory and legislative initiatives that the NAB under Gordon Smith has championed, and are already working to define the future for broadcast media in the U.S.?

QUU CEO Steve Newberry, who worked closely with Smith and Legeyt during his own tenure at the NAB, will moderate the discussion — only at FORECAST 2022.