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Three new members have joined the board of the Association of Public Radio Engineers. 

They are Ralph Hogan, a past president of both the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers; Badri Munipalla, vice president, distribution at NPR; and Ivy Sheppard, general manager of WEHC(FM), Emory, Va.

Departing after two terms are Pierre Lonewolf, Jim Gray and John George.

Returning as officers, in the same roles as last year, are Scott Hanley as president, Bill Dahlstrom as vice president, Darrell McCalla as secretary and David Antoine as treasurer. Victoria St. John is the past president.

Continuing on the board are Bruce Wahl and Bill Bennett. 

Board members at the PREC in Las Vegas, from left: John George, Bill Bennett, Bruce Wahl, David Antoine, Bill Dahlstrom, Jim Gray, Darrell McCalla, Ralph Hogan and Scott Hanley. (Photo by Jim Peck)

At the Public Radio Engineering Conference in Las Vegas, APRE honored Michael Beach, the outgoing vice president of distribution at NPR, with its 2024 Engineering Award. 

“Mike’s ongoing contributions to all of public radio have been remarkable over 10 years of dramatic change, especially in the creation and distribution of content,” President Scott Hanley said. (Watch for Radio World’s forthcoming feature on Michael Beach.)

The APRE saluted Michael Beach, center, for his contributions to public radio. (Photo by Jim Peck)

APRE also presented its Meritorious Service Award to Jobie Sprinkle of WFAE, Charlotte, N.C., and Paxton Durham, who is retired from WVTF, Roanoke, Va. 

“Active engineering professionals and former APRE board members, there are no two people more invaluable to the continued success of the PREC in their service to the Association of Public Radio Engineers,” Hanley said.

APRE also awarded scholarships to attend the conference to Darion Kootswatewa, Alina Pontius and Jasmine Ziegenhagen. Virtual conference scholarships were given to Adam Smith and Keller Henry.

Hanley said about 110 people attended the PREC. 

“We are grateful for a wonderful group of industry professionals and station engineers who presented on 20 different topics including an all-star panel for our Thursday evening ‘Night Owl’ session on the topic of metadata and related issues,” he told Radio World.

“Our event is made possible by support from many industry-leading companies, including this year’s gold level sponsors Lawo, ERI and the Telos Alliance. We look forward to another great event the Thursday and Friday ahead of NAB 2025.”

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The post APRE Elects New Board appeared first on Radio World.

The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, home to the Panthers, will not be proceeding with the creation of a low-power FM radio stations.

That’s because Al Shuldiner, the Chief of the Audio Division within the FCC’s Media Bureau, has rejected a petition for reconsideration of an earlier ruling that dismissed the school’s construction permit application.

 

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The Radio Advertising Bureau is bringing to life a new training certification program tailored to content creators in broadcast radio and audio. The course is built upon RAB’s certified Radio Marketing Consulting course, the organization to be led by Mike Hulvey said.

The custom-produced course developed and produced by RAB’s Professional Development team focuses on helping build a greater understanding between content creators and sellers in an evolving and expanding media landscape. The training targets those who are in content creation for media companies and caters to program and production directors, operations managers, promotions and brand directors, on-air talent, web designers, podcasters and social media managers.

There are eight online classes containing multiple short video modules that are easy to consume and provide immediately actionable takeaways. The course consists of key topics including branding and marketing, understanding sales basics, commercial creative the new integrated, multi-platform, media landscape, effective communications and best practices for high performers.

Instruction and training for the course is overseen by RAB’s Professional Development team and contributions by leading content creators who provide their insights into the relationship of sales and content monetization. Contributors include Tony Coles, President of Multicultural Business and Development at iHeartMedia and President of its Black Information Network (BIN); Elaina D. Smith, host of the nationally syndicated Nights with Elaina show; Hubbard Radio in Chicago Brand and Content Director Keith Hastings; Sheri Lynch, co-host of nationally syndicated Bob & Sheri radio show; and veteran radio industry consultant Mike McVay.

“I’m delighted RAB is launching this one-of-a-kind training program as I’ve been thinking about this course since I first joined the organization,” said Erica Farber, the outgoing President/CEO of the RAB. “As I like to say, we are all in sales, and while not everyone working at a radio station is directly accountable for sales, each and every radio employee has a direct influence over revenue coming into the company.”

McVay commented, “I was excited to learn that RAB was developing a sales and marketing course for programmers. I was even more excited when they asked me to participate. This business is so complex, and so rapidly changing, that it’s a great practice for those of us in content creation to learn everything we can about the business … including sales.”

April 30 marks the final day for the individual who serves as President/CEO of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, RBR+TVBR has learned.

Sam Klemet will be exiting a role he’s held for four years.

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The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday approved a rule banning most employers from using non-compete agreements.

How this impacts broadcast radio and television companies is a question that many have been pondering across the last several days, including veteran radio industry market manager Dick Taylor, who expressed his thoughts in a Radio Ink column on Friday.

In Washington, the President of TechFreedom believes the FTC decision cannot stand. Period.

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For many investors, a meaty dividend is a deciding factor in whether or not to snap up shares of a publicly traded company. For those that have been eyeing Nexstar Media Group, the time to buy could be now, thanks to a Board of Directors decision to declare a sizable fiscal “thank you” to those who hold its stock.

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Termination of License Under Section 312(g) Following Use of Unauthorized Location

The Media Bureau dismisses the application of Lajefa Community Radio for a construction permit for a new LPFM station at Greenville, Texas

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The Media Bureau dismisses the application of Alert Community Broadcasting for a construction permit for a new LPFM station at Princeton, Texas

On Thursday, Fred Jacobs of Jacobs Media presented the findings of the 20th annual Techsurvey. This year’s study, dubbed “Radio in the AI Era,” evaluated the current media and radio environment by examining the “in-car rebound,” the impact of artificial intelligence and how to build on radio’s local advantage.

The data set was compiled by 500 participating radio stations, yielding more than 31,000 surveys from “core radio listeners.” During the presentation, Jacobs said it’s important to note that these respondents are not representative of all of commercial radio listeners, as the surveys were sent to those already part of a station’s email database. Survey responses were collected between Jan. 9–Feb. 11 and used Nielsen’s 2023 market population data.

During the presentation, one of the first takeaways highlighted radio’s resiliency in a changing media landscape.

“Radio is holding its own,” said Jacobs via presentation slides. “Techsurvey 2024 shows both resilience and areas where broadcasters need to make improvement. The vital signs are hanging in.”

As always, the survey inquired to why listeners chose radio over other music/media outlets. Per the information gathered from core radio listeners this year, approximately 67% of respondents said they choose AM/FM because it is easy to listen to in the car and free.

Credit: Jacobs Media

When respondents were asked whether or not they “feel a sense of connection” to the participating station that sent them the survey, women and younger radio fans were especially likely to “strongly agree.” Overall, 42% of respondents said they strongly agree — the same as last year.

When asked why they choose AM/FM, nearly four in 10 respondents “cite the local vibe,” per Jacobs Media findings, which you can see highlighted in green below.

Credit: Jacobs Media

Jacobs said now, more than ever, radio’s “local edge” is seen as a key advantage, with 57% of respondents strongly agreeing with the sentiment. This is a lasting and growing perception, with this year’s numbers keeping pace with 2023’s Techsurvey, which highlighted listening in the “post-pandemic era.”

Credit: Jacobs Media

Radio World will continue to break down these findings in the coming days.  

[Related: “Techsurvey Finds Core Listeners Opposed to AI Voices“]

The post Techsurvey 2024 Highlights Radio’s Resilience, Impact of Localism appeared first on Radio World.

Spanish-language media and content company TelevisaUnivision has signed off on a new partnership that brings a new “retail media experience” to consumers of its content on both linear and streaming platforms.

The deal makes TelevisaUnivision the exclusive Spanish-language media partner of Shopsense AI, bringing its retail media platform into tentpole event telecasts and programming across music, sports, and entertainment.

The first instance where Shopsense AI will be seen for TelevisaUnivision consumers is tonight (4/25), with the airing of the Latin American Music Awards on Univision, UniMás, Galavisión and the ViX OTT platform.

TelevisaUnivision will collaborate with Shopsense to connect viewers with curated collections featuring items inspired by the hosts and talent featured throughout the night. On the Latin American Music Awards pre-show starting at 7pm Eastern, host and beauty icon Alejandra Espinoza was to give viewers a sneak peek into the platform.

Donna Speciale, Univision

“We’re excited to partner with Shopsense AI as its exclusive Spanish-language media partner, enhancing the overall viewing experience for our audience and providing an engaging opportunity for them to connect through big moments in music, sports and more,” said Donna Speciale, President of U.S. Advertising Sales and Marketing at TelevisaUnivision. “This capability provides a seamless integration into our content, allowing our partners to tap into retail media markets that extend the reach of brands, and offer more touchpoints to engage with consumers.”

Shopsense’s patent-pending technology relies on QR codes and dedicated URLs to direct viewers to a show-specific digital store.

TelevisaUnivision and Shopsense will launch four curated collections tailored to distinct themes and interests, including:

• “Get Ready with Me featuring Alejandra Espinoza”: Get inspired by Alejandra Espinoza’s looks at the Latin American Music Awards;
• “Neon Vibes”: Bring the vibrant colors and sounds from the show into the home with bold colors, playful fabrics, and eye-catching patterns as seen on the awards show;
• “Regional Urbano”: This collection will capture the impact of regional Mexican and urban music, with influences from urban, reggaeton, pop and other genres;
• “Looks For Less”: Dress like your favorite artist without breaking the bank.

 

One week after the conclusion of its annual convention and expo in Las Vegas, the NAB has released the results of the 2024 NAB Radio and Television Board of Directors elections.

The two-year terms of the elected board members will begin in June 2024.

New board members are listed in italics; other Board members listed below have been re-elected.

NAB Radio Board Elections
(Even-numbered districts)

Mary Menna
Vice President and Market Manager
Beasley Media Group
District 2 – N.Y., N.J.

Chris Forgy
President and CEO
Saga Communications
District 6 – N.C., S.C.

Jerry “J” Chapman
President and majority owner
Woof Boom Radio
District 10 – Ind.

Jeanna Berge
President, Multi-Platform Group
iHeartMedia
District 14 – Iowa, Wis.

Ben Downs
Vice President
Bryan Broadcasting
District 18 – Southern Texas

Tim Swift
Executive Vice President, Strategy and Technology
Bonneville International Corp.
District 22 – Ariz., Nev., N.M., Utah

Leonard Wheeler
President
Mel Wheeler, Inc.
District 4 – Del., D.C., Md., Va.

Flynn Foster
President/Owner
Guaranty Media
District 8 – La., Miss.

Erik Hellum
Chief Operating Officer
Townsquare Media
District 12 – Mo., Kan.

Andrew Sutor
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Audacy Inc.
District 16 – Colo., Neb.

Larry Patrick
Managing Partner
Legend Communications
District 20 – Mont., Idaho, Wyo.

Bob Proffitt
President and CEO
Alpha Media LLC
District 24 – Southern Calif., Guam, Hawaii, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Island

Effective immediately, Chapman will assume the District 10 (Ind.) board seat that was held by Mike Hulvey of Neuhoff Media, now the President/CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau.

Starting in June 2024, Eddie Harrell Jr., RVP/GM of Radio One markets in Ohio, will be appointed to the designated seat held by Alfred Liggins III of Urban One.

NAB Television Board Elections

Lynn Beall
Executive Vice President and COO
Media Operations
TEGNA

David Griffin
CEO
Griffin Communications

Deb McDermott
CEO
Standard Media Group

Amy Liz Pittenger
Executive Vice President
Bahakel Communications Ltd.

Nicholas Radziul
Senior Vice President, Distribution and Government Affairs
Hearst Television

Pam Teague
Chief Operating Officer
Sarkes Tarzian Inc.

The National Association of Broadcasters announced results of the election for its Radio Board of Directors. Members begin their two-year terms in June. Even-numbered districts were up for election this year.

New board members are listed in italics; other board members listed were re-elected.

Mary Menna
Vice President and Market Manager
Beasley Media
District 2 – N.Y., N.J.

Chris Forgy
President and CEO
Saga Communications
District 6 – N.C., S.C.

Jerry “J” Chapman (*)
President and majority owner
Woof Boom Radio
District 10 – Ind.

Jeanna Berge
President, Multi-Platform Group
iHeart Media
District 14 – Iowa, Wis.

Ben Downs
Vice President
Bryan Broadcasting
District 18 – Southern Texas

Tim Swift
Executive Vice President, Strategy and Technology
Bonneville International Corporation
District 22 – Ariz., Nev., N.M., Utah

Leonard Wheeler
President
Mel Wheeler, Inc.
District 4 – Del., D.C., Md., Va.

Flynn Foster
President/Owner
Guaranty Media
District 8 – La., Miss.

Erik Hellum
Chief Operating Officer
Townsquare Media
District 12 – Mo., Kan.

Andrew Sutor
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Audacy
District 16 – Colo., Neb.

Larry Patrick
Managing Partner
Legend Communications, LLC
District 20 – Mont., Idaho, Wyo.

Bob Proffitt
President and CEO
Alpha Media LLC
District 24 – Southern Calif., Guam, Hawaii, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Island

(*) Jerry “J” Chapman assumes the District 10 (Ind.) board seat that was held by Michael Hulvey of Neuhoff Media.

Also, starting in June, Eddie Harrell Jr. of Radio One Markets in Ohio will be appointed to the designated seat held by Alfred Liggins of Urban One.

The post NAB Membership Elects New Radio Board Members appeared first on Radio World.

FEMA is reminding broadcasters that an element of the Emergency Alert System IPAWS CAP message verification certificate used by EAS devices expires on Sunday, April 28.

“Any EAS device not updated prior to that date will no longer be able to authenticate received IPAWS CAP messages,” it stated in an email.

“EAS device manufacturers have included the updated verification certificate in recently published updates or made it available via other means. If you have not done so already, please reach out to your EAS manufacturer as soon as possible to replace the existing digital certification bundle or update your EAS device firmware, as necessary.”

It reminded stations to review their EAS device logs following the regular Monday morning IPAWS Required Weekly Test to determine if their EAS device has the updated verification certificate.

“Thank you to all our AM/FM radio, television and cable partners,” FEMA wrote. “Every day we see the impact of the lifesaving EAS alerts you voluntarily distribute. Your community is safer because of you.”

Stations with questions were invited to email IPAWS@fema.dhs.gov.

[Read more recent Radio World stories about the Emergency Alert System.]

The post FEMA Issues IPAWS Reminder to Stations appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It was a fait accompli, given the seating of FCC Commissioner Anna Gómez as the third and decisive Democratic vote needed to push through key proposals fueled by the Biden Administration.

Nevertheless, the FCC’s party-line 3-2 vote on Thursday that reclassifies broadband service as a Title II telecommunications service — a.k.a. the restoration of “net neutrality” — received a flurry of responses. Democrats praised the vote, while Republicans condemned it.

For FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the decision erases a Pai Commission decision to reverse a reclassification of broadband under Title II engineered by the FCC under Tom Wheeler. 

And, should President Trump return to the White House, putting Brendan Carr in a position to succeed Rosenworcel as FCC Chair, it’s a safe bet a 3-2 Republican party will go back to the days when Ajit Pai ended “net neutrality” — an act that yielded widespread outrage and personal attacks on Pai.

In the majority’s view, restoring net neutrality allows the FCC to protect consumers, defend national security, and advance public safety.

Carr and Republican colleague Nate Simington hardly agree.

With today’s vote, the Commission says it will exercise its authority over broadband “in a narrowly tailored fashion — without rate regulation, tariffing, or unbundling — to foster continued innovation and investment.”

Furthermore, the Rosenworcel Commission is touting how, with “net neutrality,” internet service providers will again be prohibited from blocking, throttling, or engaging in paid prioritization of lawful content, “restoring the rules that were upheld by the D.C. Circuit in 2016.”

The Commission will have the ability to revoke the authorizations of foreign-owned entities who pose a threat to national security to operate broadband networks in the U.S. The Commission has previously exercised this authority under section 214 of the Communications Act to revoke the operating authorities of four Chinese state-owned carriers to provide voice services in the U.S. Any provider without section 214 authorization for voice services must now also cease any fixed or mobile broadband service operations in the United States.

The FCC also says it can now play an active role in monitoring internet service outages.

What does ACA Connects President/CEO Grant Spellmeyer have to say on behalf of the association representing the interests of small and independently-owned MVPDs and broadband internet service providers in Washington?

Grant Spellmeyer

“With its internet takeover, the FCC is creating mountains of uncertainty for smaller broadband providers who will be forced to shift much-needed investment dollars away from their networks to pay for expensive regulatory compliance costs,” he said. “This will set back our members’ ongoing work to close the connectivity gap in areas of the country that lack reliable services. ACA Connects will continue to support efforts, including litigation, to overturn these heavy-handed, unnecessary utility-style regulations, which only serve to discourage development of robust and reliable broadband service for all Americans.”

Berin Szóka, President of TechFreedom, elaborated on comments filed with the FCC that note the courts are likely to find Title II reclassification a “major question” that must be decided by Congress—and why only legislation can resolve the net neutrality debate. “It’s been seven years since the FCC repealed the 2015 net neutrality rules, yet the Internet is no less open, innovative, or free than ever. Net neutrality has survived without FCC rules because consumers demand unrestricted access to the Internet, ISPs promise to meet that demand, and the Federal Trade Commission already ensures that consumers get what they’re promised. There’s no need for the FCC to do more than what it does now: require disclosure of any non-neutral practices. Reclassifying means stripping the FTC of its general jurisdiction to enforce consumer protection laws—yet another sign that this is a matter for Congress to decide.”

In contrast, Barbara van Schewick, Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and the Director of Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society who professes to be a leading expert on “net neutrality,” calls today’s vote a “big win for free speech, entrepreneurs, small business, and marginalized communities. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel made it clear ISPs may not interfere with what we do online, a sentiment that I and nearly everyone in this country agrees with.”

Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.)

While House Energy & Commerce Commission Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz expressing their dismay over the “Net Neutrality” restoration at the FCC, House E&C Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) issued a joint statement praising the vote.

“Today the FCC has rightfully reclaimed its authority over broadband internet, correcting the Trump administration’s unpopular, misguided dereliction of the FCC’s responsibility to ensure a free and open internet for all Americans,” Pallone and Matsui said. “Like any other piece of critical infrastructure in this country, we rely on our ability to access the internet every day—an essential part of Americans’ daily lives that deserves protection. Under Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s leadership, those protections have finally been restored, putting the needs of the American people first. Today’s action will empower the agency to protect consumers from unreasonable and unjust practices, while also promoting competition in the broadband marketplace and ensuring a secure and reliable internet Americans can depend on.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FCC has proposed steep fines against a group of seven pirate radio operators in Massachusetts, investigated during an Enforcement Bureau sweep in the Greater Boston area. The suggested financial penalties total more than $850,000 and is a direct result of the “Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement,” or “PIRATE” act.

The biggest single proposed fine is valued at $597,775 and was handed to Jean Marius, determined by the Commission to be the operator of unlicensed facility “Radio Tele Planet Compas” in Brockton, Randolph, and Mattapan, Mass.

For Renold David, operator of unlicensed Haitian Kreyol-language “Lotnivo FM” in Brockton, Mass., faces a $120,000 fine.

In addition, the following pirate radio operators each face $40,000 in fines:

• Joao Vieira, operator of the pirate radio station “Brockton FM” in Brockton, Mass.
• Robert Bellinger, operator of a pirate radio station, known as “TBR Radio” in Cotuit, Mass.
• Djovany Pierre and Mario Turner, operators of “Radio Tele Brockton 96.5” or “Brockton Heat”, in Brockton, Mass.

Shane Kelly, the operator of the pirate radio station “The Test 87.9 FM” in Hyannis, Mass., faces a $20,000 fine.

As is the normal procedure when Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture are distributed by the Commission, each party will be given an opportunity to respond. The Commission will consider the parties’ submissions of evidence and legal arguments before acting further to resolve the matter.

Under the PIRATE Act, enacted in 2020, the FCC can fine pirate radio operators up to $119,555 per day and a maximum of $2,391,097, as adjusted for inflation. The legislation increases possible penalties for illegal broadcasting, requires the FCC to conduct periodic enforcement sweeps, and grants the Commission authority to take enforcement action against landlords and property owners that willfully and knowingly permit pirate radio broadcasting on their properties.

— With reporting by Adam R Jacobson

Some 48 weeks ago, one of the biggest broadcast television industry transactions in recent times failed to proceed, resulting in a non-consummation. Today, that company has confidently kept its CEO, Dave Lougee, in place while the entity that had hoped to replace him with Deb McDermott contemplated its next move.

On Wednesday, that action happened. Standard General and its head, Soohyung Kim, have sued the FCC and its Chairwoman and Media Bureau Chief individually, as well as key deal detractors who spoke out against the transaction in front of the Commission. While there are several factors that ultimately led to the FCC’s decision to designate the deal for a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge, Kim believes the failure to win Commission approval comes down to one thing: race discrimination at the FCC.

 

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