Industry News

Last month AT&T sent this notice that they are discontinuing ISDN service:

ISDN stands for Integrated Services Digital Network (though many engineers say it means It Still Does Not Work). In its day 30 years ago, it was the savior for many radio remotes.

With the use of codecs, stations were able to send clean digital audio for remotes or even as a studio-to-transmitter link. This involved broadcasters forgetting the aggravation of ordering equalized lines from the phone company and once again ordering ISDN service from the regional Bell company.

Many broadcast engineers will tell you that they had to teach the phone techs about this service. It was my common practice to check my ISDN lines at least twice a week to make sure they were still working.

Should we mourn the passing of ISDN? I say no. As long as there is stable internet, the broadcaster has conquered the “battle of here to there.” Audio over IP transport should be easy and readily accessible. Many companies make IP codecs that can be used. Utilizing codecs with a Content Delivery Network adds an extra level of stability and reliability that we only wished for previously.

Consider a couple of solutions provided by a supplier like StreamGuys.

Its Barix Reflector Service involves the inexpensive Barix Instreamer Encoder and the Exstreamer Decoder. The device is small, fitting in a coat pocket. These devices are common in many radio stations.

Once at Streamguys, the content (with closure data) is then sent to as many receiving Barix Exstreamer Decoders as necessary. The only requirement for the originating and receiving location is stable internet connection and a Barix device.

Once configured in its own web Graphical User Interface (GUI), it is almost plug and play. Connect the audio and it is working.

Yes, you can send contact closures through the RS-232 port. This is easy. Just worry about how robust your internet connection is.

The wonderful thing is that you can send to many decoders at once. This is great if you need to create an ad hoc sports network or a backup feed to your translators or repeaters.

StreamGuy’s GatesAir solution involves GatesAir’s Intraplex IP Link and Ascent Server. This can do what the reflector does but with a major improvement: Dynamic Stream Splicing.

DSS allows for two separate encoders to feed your decoder. You can switch between locations or use it as a redundant backup to guarantee that the show will go on. With DSS, I like having a second internet provider to guarantee the redundancy.

Also the IP Link has the ability to translate contact closures to a metadata string. This works in conjunction with GatesAir’s cloud-based Intraplex Ascent server for added reliability. This will transport metadata along with the audio.

StreamGuy’s PassKey solution, which can be added to most of StreamGuys’ services, can be used with a hardware or software encoder. This provides a secure connection by adding a token with a 128-bit encoded password. This prevents hacking or theft of your content. It can be used for audio or video. Again a very robust less hackable solution.

Good riddance, ISDN. With the above solutions you are supported 24-7 by a manned technical operating center that understands your purpose and is in the business to support the broadcaster.

[Also by this author: “Nurture Your Personal Network”]

David Bialik is a consultant who has held technical broadcast and streaming positions for companies like Entercom, CBS Radio, Bloomberg and Bonneville. He is co-chair of the AES Technical Committee for Broadcast and Online Delivery and a Senior Member of the SBE. Reach him at dkbialik@erols.com or 845-634-6595.

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.

The post Goodbye ISDN, Hello Streaming appeared first on Radio World.

U.S. broadcasters are again urging the Federal Communications Commission to raise or eliminate the limits on how many radio stations a company can own in a particular market.

The National Association of Broadcasters filed comments this week in the FCC’s quadrennial review of ownership rules.

Under the NAB proposal, one broadcaster could, for instance, own all the AM stations in a city, no matter the size of that market. Also, in smaller markets, one company could own all of the FM stations.

NAB asked the FCC to allow one entity to own up to eight commercial FM stations in Nielsen Audio’s markets 1 through 75 — meaning cities as big as New York and as small as Baton Rouge — plus up to two more stations if the entity participates in the FCC’s incubator program

It also asked the commission to allow one company to own all AM stations in a market, and to allow one to own all FM stations in Nielsen markets 76 and smaller, as well as unrated markets. (Market 76 is currently El Paso.)

The current subcaps on stations are based on a sliding scale: In a radio market with 45 or more stations, an entity may own up to eight, no more than five of which may be in the same service (AM or FM). In a market with 30 to 44 radio stations, an entity may own up to seven, no more than four in the same service. In a market with between 15 and 29 stations, an entity may own up to six, no more than four in the same service. And in a market with 14 or fewer stations, an entity may own up to five radio stations, no more than three of which may be one service, as long as the entity does not own more than half of the radio stations in that market.

NAB also asked the FCC to do away with restrictions that ban combinations among top-four rated TV stations, regardless of audience or advertising shares and that prevent ownership of more than two stations in all markets, regardless of competitive positions.

[Related: “Further Relaxation on Ownership Seems Unlikely”]

The association had made these same recommendations in 2019. The latest comments are part of the FCC’s 2018 quadrennial review, which has been dragged out for various reasons including the ultimately unsuccessful legal challenge by Prometheus Radio and other critics to earlier rule changes under a Republican administration.

After the Supreme Court settled the Prometheus case, FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel opened up another round of comments to refresh the public record.

“The regulatory framework governing ownership of broadcast radio and television stations harms broadcasters’ ability to compete in the marketplace, impedes localism and fails to promote diversity in ownership,” the NAB wrote in a summary of its filing.

“Local radio and television stations operate under media ownership restrictions that date back decades to the analog era and fail to account for changes in the marketplace … These outdated media ownership rules, which no longer enable broadcasters to viably operate in a competitive market or effectively serve the public interest, are in more urgent need of reform than ever.”

The association says that with the decline of newspapers, broadcasters are among the few entities capable of producing “local news, weather, sports and emergency journalism,” efforts that demand high capital and operating costs, “which could be alleviated by leveraging economies of scale.”

It thinks current rules don’t take into consideration increased competition for advertising from big technology platforms or the impact of the pandemic on local journalism.

“In assessing competition, the FCC can no longer maintain the fiction that broadcast stations compete only against other broadcast stations … Given the record evidence … the FCC must conclude that its local ownership rules are no longer necessary in the public interest as the result of competition.”

It also said current rules restricting the size and scale of a station group discourage minority investment.

The post Give Us Subcap Relief, Broadcasters Again Tell FCC appeared first on Radio World.

More info is becoming available about how the NAB Show will manage its proof of vaccination process and other health procedures in Las Vegas next month.

Proof of vaccination will be managed through the free Clear mobile app and Health Pass feature, or by a Vaccination Concierge Service on site. More details about both of those options are expected to be released shortly.

A decision about mask requirements will be made closer to the date of the show, but as of right now Clark County, Nev., requires face coverings in public indoor places and crowded outdoor venues regardless of vaccination.

NAB also said that more health and safety measures have been added by the Las Vegas Convention Center itself.

The NAB will require full vaccination of attendees, exhibitors and its own staff at the NAB Show, Radio Show, and the Sales and Management Television Exchange.

A person will be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

Accepted vaccinations include those authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization.

The Clear Health Pass Validation App will be active and available to show participants 30 days before the start of the convention.

To validate their status, participants with vaccination records from the United States can utilize Clear Health Pass Validation. Alternatively, participants can visit the show’s Vaccine Concierge Service at the LVCC Oct. 5­ to 13 with their vaccination records and photo ID.

For badge pickup, attendees can bring their Clear Health Pass Validation or vaccination documentation (digital or paper) with a photo ID, to the badge pickup location in the Silver Lot at the LVCC.

The NAB reported that  the LVCC is one of the first major convention centers to be awarded the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR facility accreditation by ISSA.

“This recognizes the LVCC as a gold standard facility and operation for outbreak prevention, response and readiness,” it stated.

Other health measures planned for the show include touchless registration; cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques and work practices; and HVAC upgrades at the LVCC to allow for greater ventilation as well as the use of air filters with a quality rating of hospital-grade filtration.

Meeting rooms and floor theaters will be capped at 75% capacity; transparent partitions will be placed in areas that require closer contact; and hand sanitizer stations will be placed in public spaces, corridors, show floor areas and food and beverage areas.

There will be increased medical staff onsite with reserved medical rooms, and a new telehealth station has been installed at the LVCC to offer on-demand access to health care.

A free contact tracing mobile app developed by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services will be available.

Show organizers have also posted recommendations for exhibitors. These include providing space to allow three feet of separation; one-way traffic flow; dividers; touchless forms of engagement; no handshakes; regular cleaning; and use of digital rather than physical promotional materials.

Detailed information about health and safety procedures is posted at the NAB Show website.

The post NAB Show Will Use App for Proof of Vaxx appeared first on Radio World.

RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION

As the radio industry slid into the Labor Day weekend, ahead of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), the NAB and a group of nine radio broadcasting companies each submitted comments with the FCC that essentially offer the same plea to the Commission.

They want a further loosening of the radio ownership rules, one that would allow one single company to own every AM radio station in a market, regardless of its size. They want one single company to be able to own every FM radio station in a market under No. 74 in rank. They want a company to be able to own up to eight FMs in markets No. 1-No. 74.

The reasons are replete with finger-pointing toward Facebook and Google, and Amazon, too.

But, is it fair? Given the consolidation the industry has seen in the last 30 years, are we ready to see more when the argument is clearly about dollars, and not about consumers?

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

The NAB isn’t the only party with a deep interest in the FCC’s 2018 quadrennial review of its broadcast ownership rules.

No less than nine radio station licensees, along with a very well-known broker, have teamed up in offering joint comments that reiterates what many in the industry have desired for years: “modernization” of its cross-ownership rules.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

As he prepares to wrap up his tenure as head of the NAB, Gordon Smith will receive the Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the Broadcasters Foundation of America.

“The award is bestowed annually on an individual in broadcasting whose work exemplifies innovation, community service, advocacy and entrepreneurship,” the foundation said.

[Read our interview with incoming President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt.]

Smith is president/CEO of the association and a former U.S. senator. He’ll receive the award at the foundation’s breakfast during the NAB Show on Tuesday Oct. 12.

The first person to receive the Mays Award from the foundation was long-time FCC commissioner Jim Quello. Recipients have included Ajit Pai, Bill Clark, Eddie Fritts, Cathy Hughes, Stanley Hubbard, Mel Karmazin, Jeff Smulyan, Dick Wiley and Stu Olds.

The award is named after Lowry Mays, founder of the company that became Clear Channel Communications, later called iHeartMedia. Former NAB head Eddie Fritts once said of Mays that the company he built “changed the face of broadcasting and mass communications.”

The breakfast is free for anyone in broadcasting; preregistration is required.

The Broadcasters Foundation distributes aid to broadcasters who have lost their livelihood through a catastrophic event, debilitating disease or unforeseen tragedy.

The post The Broadcasters Foundation Honors Gordon Smith appeared first on Radio World.

The NAB is launching a Diversity Symposium at the upcoming 2021 NAB Show in Las Vegas. It’s a two-part program that will cover strategies for developing and fostering corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the media industry.

The just-announced Diversity Symposium takes place on Sunday, October 10, and is scheduled from 11am-2:30pm Pacific. It will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is open to all NAB Show attendees.

“The value of this new program cannot be overstated,” said Michelle Duke, NAB’s chief diversity officer. “The last year has made it clear that businesses need to take a more active role in creating and developing more inclusive and diverse workplaces, and we are excited for the role NAB has to lead a culture of change.”

The symposium will kick off with a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Roundtable, focused on how to develop diversity programs for media organizations. CDOs from The E.W. Scripps Company, iHeartMedia and TEGNA will join the conversation led by Duke.

Other sessions focused on developing a corporate DE&I strategy include:

• Building Effective ERG’s (Employee Resources Groups) and DE&I Committees
• Supplier Diversity: Developing a Strategy that Benefits Your Organization and Your Community

The symposium will then pivot to cover fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and within the media industry at large. Two sessions will explore the impact of diverse leadership on the bottom line, and how intersectional identities can change reporting, news coverage and production.

Diverse leaders from across the industry will participate in the session titled “More Than a Seat at the Table: The Impact of Inclusive Leadership and Sponsorship.” iHeartMedia’s Senior Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Yesenia Bello, Allen Media Group-owned KITV-4/Honolulu President/GM Jason Hagiwara and Cox Media Group Director of Sales Angelina Rosario will discuss leadership as individuals in groups that are underrepresented in media and the positive impact of creating an active culture of inclusion at their organizations.

The Sept. 3 announcement of the Oct. 10 symposium further solidifies a schedule of events designed for a five-night stay in Las Vegas, with events on October 9 for broadcast engineers and IT professionals and the Sales and Management Television Exchange bookended by the Radio Show. NAB Show events largely begin October 10 and conclude October 13.

The NAB Show is the largest convention and expo to be staged since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.

Jeff Winemiller and his Lowcountry 34 Media has engaged in a series of transactions in recent months involving low-power television stations.

On Thursday (9/2), he moved forward with the sale of six LPTV construction permits.

The buyer? The company co-led by Pat LaPlatney and Hilton Howell Jr.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

The Broadcasters Foundation of America has selected the soon-to-retire President/CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) as the recipient of the 2021 Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award.

The honor is bestowed annually on an individual in broadcasting whose work exemplifies innovation, community service, advocacy, and entrepreneurship.

This year, it is going to Gordon Smith, the former Republican U.S. Senator from Oregon who will be replaced by Curtis LeGeyt as the NAB’s head in January 2022.

Smith will be presented with the award at the Broadcasters Foundation Annual Breakfast, scheduled to coincide with the 2021 NAB Show. The affair is scheduled for October 12 at 7am in the Brahms Room of the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas.

Smith joined the NAB as its leader in November 2009. Prior to joining NAB, he served as senior advisor in the Washington offices of Covington & Burling LLP.

The Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award salutes its namesake and is underwritten by The Mays Family Foundation. Past recipients include Ajit Pai, Bill Clark, Eddie Fritts, Cathy Hughes, Mel Karmazin, Jeff Smulyan, Dick Wiley, and others. 

There’s a new New York Yankee hero to add the list of legends associated with the Major League Baseball team.

Who knew that it would be a sportscaster whose widely known among English-language sports fans in Philadelphia who calls Yankees games en español while in the Bronx?

Rickie Ricardo is being lauded for rushing to the aid of the Yankees’ lead play-by-play announcer, John Sterling, late Wednesday, perhaps saving him from rising floodwaters associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

Ricardo is the Spanish-language radio play-by-play voice of both the Yankees and the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, and is a host on Sports Talk WIP-FM 94.1 in Philadelphia, the Audacy-owned station.

Ricardo and Sterling were at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, before rain and wind associated with Ida’s remnants arrived in the New York Tri-State Area, creating a late-night mess sparsely covered by local TV stations until the morning.

Sterling, 83, was in New Jersey, stranded on a road that had flooded. Cell phone reception was poor, and some 10 attempts were made for Ricardo to reach Sterling; Ricardo had called upon learning of how terrible the weather had become while also driving to his home in the Garden State.

Ricardo shared on WFAN Thursday morning what transpired from that point.

“He answered the phone and I said, ‘John, it’s Rickie. Where are you? … John is trying — in the dark because the lights are out — to describe to me where he’s at. He goes ‘Oh I’m in front of this Chinese restaurant on the corner of this bagel shop.’ And he’s in his car and the water’s rising.”

Ricardo sprang to action, and raced over the George Washington Bridge to find him. Suzyn Waldman, Sterling’s game-time partner, called Ricardo to give him the exact location: the unfortunately appropriately-named River Road in Edgewater, just south of the bridge and facing Columbia University on the opposite side of the Hudson River.

Ricardo got there. When he found Sterling, some 25 cars were stranded. The water had reached the tires of his automobile. Ricardo rolled up his pants, got out of his vehicle, waded through the flood waters, and got Sterling out safely into Ricardo’s Jeep.

“Finally I get John settled into my Jeep and he’s kind of shell shocked and I don’t blame him,” Ricardo said on WFAN.

The adventure didn’t end. Sterling’s home was just one half-mile away, but getting there proved difficult. With local law enforcement officers assisting, that trek took about an hour but was ultimately successful.

For Michael Kay, also associated with Yankees broadcasts, a trek home to Connecticut proved impossible, due to major flooding in the Bronx that turned the Major Deegan Expressway near Van Cortlandt into a deep river. Kay ended up spending the evening at his alma mater, Fordham University.

— With reports from Twitter and the New York Daily News.